Posts by George Berry
Pilot 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 MoreMass stranding of pilot whales in Tasmania
Over 450 pilot whales have stranded in various locations along a stretch of coastline in a remote part of Tasmania. Originally it was thought around 270 whales were involved but another group has now been discovered. Around 380 whales are thought to have died in the waters around Macquarie Harbour near Strahan on the island’s…
Read MoreHumpback whales swim up river in Kakadu National Park
Wildlife experts in Australia’s Northern Territory are monitoring a humpback whale that has travelled 18 miles (30km) up the East Alligator river. It is the first time a whale has been recorded swimming so far up a river in Australia. Two other whales that were originally seen in the river have returned to the ocean.…
Read MoreQuieter waters allow dolphins in Hong Kong to return
Scientists studying endangered Chinese white dolphins (Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins) in Hong Kong have noticed an increase is sightings after a drop in boat traffic. Since the Covid pandemic began there has been a dramatic decline in the number of boats frequenting the waters where the dolphins are found, in particular the fast ferries serving the…
Read MoreMystery surrounds orca harassment of boats
Scientists are trying to work out why a pod of orcas have been damaging passing boats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal in recent weeks. Several boats have been targeted as they sailed through the region with the whales appearing to deliberately ram the boats’ hulls. Some have lost their rudders and steering as…
Read MoreTahlequah the orca has a new calf
Tahlequah (J35) with her calf J57. Photo by Katie Jones, Center for Whale Research / Permit #21238 Tahlequah (J35), an orca from the Southern Resident population, has given birth to a new calf (J57). They were seen swimming together at the end of last week by scientists from the Center for Whale Research. In 2018…
Read MoreWDC scientists join call for global action to protect whales and dolphins from extinction
Scientists from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, along with over 250 other experts from 40 countries, have signed on to an open letter calling for action to urgently address the precarious situation of many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises, (collectively ‘cetaceans’) many of which face extinction threats due to harmful human activity such as incidental…
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