Posts Tagged ‘orcas’
New babies bring hope for orcas on the edge of extinction
A silver lining of this strange year was the news that Tahlequah, the orca who touched hearts worldwide two years ago as she mourned the loss of her newborn calf, was pregnant again. Now we are celebrating two new babies in the population… If you are able to make a donation, it will help us…
Read MoreIs a good outcome possible for the jailed whales in Russia?
It’s not often that we report good news from Russia about whales and dolphins. We have been fighting for many years to end the capture of orcas and belugas from Russian waters for the aquarium trade. The bad news continued in 2018, as dozens of whales were illegally incarcerated in holding pens in Srednyaya Bay…
Read MoreWDC Petitions – what you do matters!
There are a lot of petitions on the web these days – quite a few on our own website – focusing on many different topics. It can be hard to keep up with all of them, and sometimes you might not know what happens after you add your name, or even if it matters that…
Read MoreI’m Bl**dy Angry!
Such was the reaction to BA’s letter from all of us at WDC and the hundreds of thousands of people who had signed Kathleen Haase’s change.org petition calling on British Airways to stop selling trips to SeaWorld. It also came as something of a surprise. At our meeting with BA on 13th October, the company acknowledged…
Read MoreCaptive orcas held in horrific conditions
Disturbing news is coming out of Russia that two orcas, Narnia and another unnamed male, both captured from the wild in 2012 and 2013, respectively, are currently being held in cramped conditions in a makeshift rusty tank as delays to the opening of Moscow’s new VDNKh Oceanarium continue. The orcas were flown to Moscow last…
Read MoreSouthern Resident orca population is missing two members
We are saddened to learn that two members of the Southern Resident orca population in the Pacific Northwest are unaccounted for this year and are presumed dead. Two members of L pod, Lulu and Indigo, have not been seen with their families this summer. The annual census of this population, which started in the mid-70’s,…
Read MoreMarius the giraffe
Unethical, cruel, barbaric – these are just some of the terms the world’s media has used to describe the practices of Copenhagen zoo and their decision to destroy Marius, a two year old giraffe, a result of their irresponsible captive breeding programme. In spite of several offers from other European zoos and wildlife parks to…
Read MoreBlackfish gets a BAFTA nomination but just misses out on an Oscar
In January 2013, the Sundance Film Festival in the US was buzzing with news of a documentary that was listed which would lift the lid on the dark underbelly of a company that is considered as American as apple pie – SeaWorld. In just 12 months, Blackfish has brought the barbaric issue of keeping highly…
Read MoreWhale and Dolphin Trafficking Heads East
Four more orcas have now been confirmed to have been captured in Russian waters for ocean amusement parks and aquariums. That makes seven total captured in the past 2+ months in two separate captures in the Sea of Okhotsk—the massive far eastern inland sea of Russia, lying due north of Japan. Having spent time with…
Read MoreMore fascinating orca facts emerge
Researchers have discovered that, just like humans, female orcas experience the menopause in what is thought to be a rare and clever piece of evolution that increases the chances of survival for their young. Orca mums take on a leading role in large family groups and pass on knowledge to their young such as when…
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