Posts by George Berry
Shocking footage of captive orca butting head against wall
Distressing scenes have recently emerged from Marineland in Ontario where Kiska, the loneliest whale in the world, has been filmed violently thrashing her head against the side of her tank. Kiska is a wild caught Icelandic orca who has spent the last four decades in captivity. She was just three years old when she was…
Read MoreEven locals outraged as 1400 dolphins die in Faroese hunt
There has been widespread condemnation after over 1400 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands last weekend, believed to be the largest number of dolphins ever killed in the country. Much of the criticism has come from within the country where usually there is a strong defence of the hunts, which are portrayed…
Read MoreRescuers search for orca family after saving stranded calf
An orca calf is receiving medical care in New Zealand after becoming stranded near Wellington yesterday. The whale has been moved to a segregated harbour area while rescue teams search for the juvenile orca’s pod. It is hoped the rest of the calf’s family are still in the area and they can be reunited. According…
Read MoreSouthern right whales urgently need your help
WDC is excited to be supporting a new conservation project that needs urgent funding to help protect endangered southern right whales and their habitat. As they recover from near extinction from whaling, they need protection inside critical calving and nursery grounds, several of which are found around Australia’s coastline. Human development continues to increase along…
Read MoreRare sighting of large gathering of feeding humpback whales in Australia
A rare sighting of large numbers of humpback whales feeding together off the coast of Australia has been captured on film. Humpbacks usually feed during the austral (southern hemisphere) summer in the cold waters around Antarctica before heading north to breed and give birth in warmer waters. The whales are not thought to feed much…
Read MoreJapanese whalers plan to build new factory ship
Reports in Japan indicate that Japanese whalers are planning to replace their existing factory ship with a brand new vessel. According to Jiji Press, Kyodo Senpaku Co., a subsidiary of the government’s Institute of Cetacean Research, announced on April 10th that it will spend 6 billion yen (£39m) to construct a replacement for the Nisshin…
Read MorePilot whales strand in New Zealand
Around 50 long-finned pilot whales stranded on Monday on New Zealand’s South Island at a location called Farewell Spit. The long stretch of coast has shallow sandy waters which have seen numerous strandings over the years. Volunteer rescuers from Project Jonah, experts in attending strandings, were able to return nearly 30 whales to the water…
Read More200th anniversary of the sinking of the whaleship Essex
On 20 November 1820, a sperm whale turned on a whaling ship in the Pacific and sank her. Two hundred years on, in her guest blog, freelance journalist and long-time WDC supporter Stephanie Boxall reflects on what we can learn from the incident that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick. Two hundred years ago, an…
Read MoreBlue whale sightings increase off South Georgia
New research suggests that blue whales may finally be returning to South Georgia decades after the end of whaling. The waters around the island in the South Atlantic were the location for some of the most devastating impacts of commercial whaling. Over 40,000 blue whales were killed during the first part of the 20th century…
Read MoreConservation groups call on the travel industry to help build a better post pandemic future for captive whales and dolphins
On the eve of the (virtual) World Travel Market event in London, WDC along with other welfare and conservation organisations have released a report calling on the travel industry to work with them and end support for whale and dolphin captivity shows, not prop up a cruel practice through ticket sales and promotions that shortens…
Read More