Skip to content
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
  • Whale watching
Gray whale

UN adopts High Seas Treaty to protect the ocean

At the UN 'High Seas Treaty' negotiations in New York, a historic vote for the...

Hopes raised for whale and dolphin protection after last minute landmark nature agreement

WDC's Ed Goodall (far right) at COP15 with Thérèse Coffey (centre) UK Secretary of State...

WDC orca champion picks up award

Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award The Scottish Environment LINK, an organisation...

Large number of dolphins moved to Abu Dhabi marine park

Up to 24 captive bottlenose dolphins have reportedly been sent to a new SeaWorld theme...

Nearly 500 whales die in New Zealand

A stranded pilot whale

The number of pilot whales that have died following a mass stranding in New Zealand has reached nearly 500.

Officials are putting the current number of deaths at 477, which occurred on two remote beaches on the Chatham Islands, around 500 miles east of New Zealand's main islands. The remote location hindered attempts to refloat some of the whales, as did the potential presence of sharks in the surrounding waters.

These deaths were in addition to the 200 pilot whales that became stranded and died a couple of weeks ago on a remote Australian beach.

New Zealand has one of the highest number of stranding incidents with pilot whales often involved. Pilot whales can strand in large numbers as they live in very tight social groups and, when a lead individual has made a navigational mistake or one of the group is sick or wounded, the rest of their pod frequently follow that individual towards the shoreline and into trouble. It is thought that the long sloping beaches in some regions cause navigational errors.

WDC helps with strandings around the world and works on projects seeking to understand why whales and dolphins strand. Can you donate today to help this important work?

Related News

banner

Introducing the Whale and Dolphin Conservation official collectible card by Prince Hussain Aga Khan and philropy

We are happy to share that the philanthropy cards startup philropy, and environmentalist photographer Prince Hussain Aga Khan have joined forces to create the official...
Gray whale

UN adopts High Seas Treaty to protect the ocean

At the UN 'High Seas Treaty' negotiations in New York, a historic vote for the protection of the ocean took place at the weekend. After...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save the vulnerable finless porpoises who share the sea with them....

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas - and treat them accordingly.' To succeed in our efforts to...

Leave a Comment