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Orca Lulu's body contained PCB levels 100x above the safe limit. Image: SMASS

Toxic tides, troubled whales: the toll of chemical pollution

In last week's blog, we examined the challenges whales and dolphins face as they travel...
Group of orcas at surface

Breaking barriers for whales and dolphins at the Convention of Migratory Species

Many species of whales, dolphins and porpoises undertake long journeys, encountering human-made obstacles along the...
Tokyo

WDC in Japan – Part 1: Finding allies in Tokyo

At the end of May, I embarked on an incredible journey to Japan on behalf...
Amazon river dolphins leaping

The state of river dolphin conservation

At Whale and Dolphin Conservation, we partner with conservationists and communities fighting to save river...
Researchers in Southeast Alaska studying whale poo

We’re funding crucial research on whale poo to combat the climate crisis

The ocean is one of the lungs of our planet, and whales help it to...
Narwhal surfacing

The unicorns of the sea must be protected – CITES

The narwhal, is under threat. Often referred to as the unicorns of the sea, narwhals,...
Sperm whales

We’re pushing governments for action for our climate heroes – whales

The climate crisis is the greatest threat to all life on Earth. But there is...
Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...
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  • End captivity
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Port River dolphins

New report reveals 100,000 dolphins and small whales hunted every year

When you hear the words ‘dolphin hunts’ it’s likely that you think of Japan or...

Minke whale hunts stop in Iceland

Iceland’s commercial hunt of minke whales has ended for this year. The common minke whale is the...

Australian Government to block Japanese whaling proposal

Japanese Government officials have reportedly confirmed that they will propose the resumption of commercial whaling...

Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...

Icelandic whalers breach international law and kill iconic, protected whale by mistake

Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to...

Pregnant whales once again a target for Japanese whalers

Figures from Japan's whaling expedition to Antarctica during the 2017/18 austral summer have revealed that...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...

Japan set to resume commercial whaling

Reports from Japan suggest that the government they will formally propose plans to resume commercial...

End the whale hunts! Icelandic fin whaler isolated as public mood shifts

Here’s a sight I hoped never again to witness. A boat being scrubbed and repainted...

Norway increases whaling quota despite declining demand

Norway's government has announced an increase in the number of minke whales that can be...

Norway's whaling season begins

April 1st saw the start of the whaling season in Norway. Despite a widely-accepted international moratorium...

SOS alert for whales off Norway!

I have to admit to bitter disappointment when I arrived in Tromsø, northern Norway, a...

Godzilla is not whale food

Elspeth Shears is a residential volunteer at the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay. Our visitor centre is on the Moray Firth, north east Scotland, home to the most northerly population of bottlenose dolphins in the world.

With the Scottish sun shining up above on a beautiful Sunday in Moray, Scotland, more than 60 eager volunteers gathered at WDC’s Scottish Dolphin Centre ready for an afternoon of beach cleaning at Spey Bay to celebrate our partnership with 4Ocean – a company whose bracelets made from recycled ocean plastic help to fund beach cleans around the world, and support the work of charities like WDC. Armed with litter pickers, gloves, rubbish bags and plenty of enthusiasm we donned our bright blue 4Ocean t-shirts and headed out onto the beach.

It is always difficult to know what to expect when undertaking an organised beach clean. What are we going to find? How much rubbish litters our coasts? One thing for certain is that our intentions for the day were clear – to confront the pollution problem we are facing. I think there is something rather special about a group of people coming together for a single cause such as this.

Physically clearing up litter is an integral part of tackling the plastic problem in our oceans.  4Ocean have led their own global clean-up effort for the last couple of years, pulling pounds of litter from the ocean every single day. Plastic that finds its way into the sea poses a real threat to the marine creatures that unknowingly ingest it or become entangled in it. As a charity working to protect whales and dolphins, WDC are raising awareness about the detrimental impacts of marine pollution. Because plastic is Not Whale Food! As two organisations united in the fight against plastic pollution, WDC and 4Ocean joined forces and hosted the beach clean event at the Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay. 

Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the sea each year – that’s more than the total weight of every blue whale on the planet – and there are increasing concerns that the amount of plastic in the ocean could triple by 2025. These figures are completely mindboggling to comprehend, emphasising the scale and urgency of this problem.  

56% of all whale and dolphin species, from small fish eating porpoises to the largest filter feeding whales, have been recorded eating plastic that they have mistaken for their natural food source. The issue is that no matter if it’s plankton ingesting micro plastics, or a turtle ingesting an entire plastic bag, plastic can travel all the way up the food chain via a process called bioaccumulation. So, by the time you reach the top of the food chain, species such as whales, dolphins and sharks are left with astonishing levels of toxins in their bodies. 

To tackle this issue and its impact on whales and dolphins across the world, 4Ocean chose WDC to be their monthly cause for May this year, releasing a whale bracelet. These bracelets are made from 100% recycled materials and the profits go to 4Ocean’s ongoing work to clean up our seas. Furthermore, 10% of the profits from their whale bracelet went to WDC to help us keep whales and dolphins safe and free. I feel that the bracelets also succeed in uniting people together, symbolising the passion we share for our ocean environment and the commitment we have to creating cleaner oceans. 

After the best part of an hour spent scouring the beach for plastic we assembled back at the Scottish Dolphin Centre to see the results of our work. The total weight of all the rubbish exceeded 60kg, including a giant model Godzilla, numerous car tyres, lobster pots, reels of chicken wire, drainage piping and a soap dispenser. We can plainly see the outcome of our efforts.  As one volunteer summed up nicely, there was a sense of feeling really proud of what we achieved that day. Not just in terms of the debris we prevented entering the sea and harming all kinds of marine life, but also the positive community that was created as a result. It’s amazing what one group of like-minded individuals can achieve and just how far a bit of good intention can go.

Feeling inspired to join the clean-up movement? Have a go at organising your own beach clean. Around 95% of the plastic in the ocean comes from our towns and cities so even if you don’t live near the coast, you can join in with an Urban Beach Clean and support WDC’s #NotWhaleFood project.