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We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
Gray whales from drone.

We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
We must protect our non-human allies. Image: Tom Brakefield, aurore murguet, johan63

We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

A lovely end to my sabbatical with more humpback whales

My time at the WDC North American office has come to an end; it has flown by and has been a wonderful experience.

In my previous blog I wrote about the humpback studies that I have been assisting on whilst I have been here. Since then the weather has continued to be unseasonably good and the humpback whales have continued to be around and more active at this time of year, I have been called a good luck charm!

A whale known as Abyss was very curious and came right over to the boat, and spent about 50 minutes with us just hanging around under the boat. I wonder what this very curious whale thought about everyone on the boat.


On another trip I was fortunate to see one of the adoption whales, Reflection, along with her calf from this year. She was being very active at the surface and was flipper slapping using both flippers for quite a while. Reflection is one of WDC’s favourite adoption whales and was first sighted as a young whale over 25 years ago. She was named for her symmetrical fluke pattern, a characteristic which she has not yet shared with any of her five calves.

Whilst I have been here helping with the studies into the humpback whales that use these waters for feeding and rearing their young, there has also been some saddening news during my stay.  The discovery of yet another dead North Atlantic right whale was made on October 23, marking the 16th known death for the critically endangered species since April of this year and the loss of more than 3% of the entire species in a six month period. 

This is very worrying news.  Since 2005, WDC North American office has been working on a programme, specifically dedicated to the continued survival of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and they are diligently working with their conservation partners to save the remaining right whales from extinction. If you would like to help WDC and its work to save this species, please consider making a donation

I feel very fortunate that I had this opportunity to assist on the studies into the whales, that I had good weather and excellent sightings of so many whales displaying an array of different behaviours. It was all topped off on a boat trip with other WDC staff and volunteers, where as we went out we had a wonderful sunrise, and were soon accompanied by a pod of bow-riding common dolphins.