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Lasting legacies

Lasting Legacies: Orca Action Month 2023

Each June we celebrate Orca Month and the unique community of Southern Resident orcas, and this...
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...

Entangled Whale Watch Boat Makes National News – Entangled Whales Rarely Do

An “entangled” whale watching boat with 157 passengers on board remained at sea overnight and made national news. 

While the news originally reported that the vessel was likely snagged in lobster gear, we knew that was doubtful.  We know that large whales who get entangled in lobster gear rarely become anchored. Unfortunately, we have plenty of data to support this, including the 13 currently unresolved cases of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales entangled in fishing gear.  With only 500 right whales remaining, the loss of even one individual from human causes can jeopardize the survival of the species, yet two new cases of entanglement have already been reported this year. These entanglements can cause chronic and painful injuries. Some of these entanglements will kill the whales, but these entanglements are not making national news. We are happy that the whale watch vessel returned to Boston safely and no passenger injuries were reported.  At the same time, we hope that anyone reading about the “entangled” whale watch vessel, or those passengers that survived it, will consider the whales, whose existence depends on the reduction of this very threatWDC – NA has spent over a decade collecting data and presenting the findings collaboratively to federal policy makers to reduce and eventually eliminate this threat. Every victory has been bittersweet, because for every year it took to get a new regulation passed, at least one North Atlantic right whale died from entanglement. WDC acknowledges that no fishermen in the US is intentionally entangling whales.  Our goal is to work with fishermen, through the federally authorized Take Reduction Team process, to protect this critically endnagered species.    Support the work we are doing with a $5.00 donation.

Images collected under MMPA Research permit number 1058-1733-01 Photo credit: NOAA/NEFSC/Peter Duley

This right whale was sighted on June 29, 2014 by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Despite ongoing searches, this whale has not been relocated in order for permitted rescuers to attempt a disentanglement.  The orange noted on the whale’s body is a result of an infestation of cyamids, a sign of declining health. The line over the rostrum (face) of the whale has embedded into the whale’s head.  We believe the prognosis for this whale’s survival is poor.  Image collected under MMPA Research permit number 1058-1733-01 Photo credit: NOAA/NEFSC/Peter Duley