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North Atlantic right whale - Peter Flood

Whale AID 2023: A Night of Music and Hope for North Atlantic Right Whales

The inaugural Whale AID concert to support Whale and Dolphin Conservation's (WDC's) work to protect...
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Meet the 2023 Interns: Thomas Zoutis

I'm happy to introduce WDC's first Marine Mammal Conservation Intern of the year, Thomas Zoutis!...
MicrosoftTeams-image (9)

Double Your Impact for Marine Animal Rescue & Response

On a chilly day this past December, the WDC North America team celebrated the first...
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WDC’s Education Wishlist = Cleared!

To the WDC Community, I want to thank you so much for your support of...
Hysazu Photography

Looking forward for Southern Resident orcas in 2023

Hysazu Photography 2022 was a big year for Southern Resident orcas - 2022 brought the...
Credit: Seacoast Science Center

The Unlikely Adventure of Shoebert, a Young Grey Seal Who Visited an Industrial Park Pond

Credit: Seacoast Science Center In mid-September, our stranding partners in northern Massachusetts were inundated with...
Leaping harbour porpoise

The power of harbour porpoise poo

We know we need to save the whale to save the world. Now we are...
Right whale - Regina WDC

Whale and Dolphin Conservation: Change Through Policy.

WDC focuses on education, research, conservation projects, and policy work to create a sustainable future...

What does “success” looks like for WDC’s projects and campaigns

Perhaps one metric for success that we should strive for is to have the number of North Atlantic right whales greater than the number of people working to save them. With fewer than 500 North Atlantic right whales remaining, we are far from meeting that goal. The fatalities they face from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements remain the primary threats, but the army of people working to eradicate these threats and save the whales is inspiring.

Sign an updated petition to maintain the protections of the Ship Strike Speed Rule

For example last month WDC, along with the Humane Society of the United States, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and 14 other conservation organizations, scientists and academics, asked the US government to maintain a fishery restriction in right whale calving habitat to protect the vulnerable newborn right whales from entanglement. Then Dr. Michael Moore of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution published an essay last week on the welfare impacts of entanglements on right whales.  Coincidentally, this week Clay George and his team from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources removed more than 280 feet of fishing line from an entangled right whale, highlights the importance of maintaining the fishery restrictions. 

Another example of the inspirational work being done is the success of our efforts petitioning the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to permanently extended the Ship Strike Speed Rule, which reduced the risk of ship strikes to right whales by nearly 90%!

Unfortunately, this rule is already being challenged by the American Pilots Association, and today I am asking you to sign an updated petition to maintain the protections of the ship strike speed rule throughout the entire east coast of the US. 

We’ve all heard parents, teachers, and caregivers encourage young children to use their words to express their opinion and exert their influence – Please become part of this impressive army of scientists, advocates, and conservationists and use the power of your words to tell the US government that right whales deserved to be protected.