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WDC2023-007 NMLC Release (16)

Seal Rescued in Marshfield Released Back Into The Wild

For Immediate Release, May 31, 2023 PLYMOUTH, MA - A young male grey seal that...

Norway ups whale kill numbers and removes whale welfare protections

The whaling season in Norway has begun on the back of disturbing announcements from the...
Image taken from an unmanned hexacopter at >100ft during a research collaboration between NOAA/SWFSC, SR3 and the Coastal Ocean Research Institute. Research authorized by NMFS permit #19091.

Southern Resident orca petition to list them under Oregon Endangered Species Act advanced

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to advance a petition seeking to protect...
Hysazu Photography

WDC and Conservation Partners Continue to Seek Oregon Endangered Species Protection for Southern Resident Orcas

On Friday, April 21st, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will determine whether the petition...

WDC bids farewell to Kessock Centre

After detailed discussions lasting over a year, WDC has made the decision not to renew the lease at the Dolphin and Seal Centre (DSC) at North Kessock from the end of the 2015 season. 

WDC have run this small, satellite centre since 2007 and during those years it has been a great place to tell visitors to the Inverness area about WDC and the bottlenose dolphins in the Kessock channel and at Chanonry Point. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our supporters, volunteers and visitors who have been to the Centre over the years. 

However, visitor behaviour is changing. This has dramatically lowered footfall at the DSC; it is situated opposite a tourist information centre and, as more tourists use the internet to plan their holidays, fewer people visit information centres like these. This, coupled with the increased interest in Chanonry Point, has resulted in visitor numbers being down by 45%, despite an increase in marketing by WDC. 

As a registered charity, we have to use our funds wisely, and feel it would be more beneficial to have a flexible staff member who can spend more time interacting with the public at places like Chanonry Point. There have been no redundancies caused by the closure and the decision will also give WDC more scope to visit schools and attend community events in the Inverness area, and set up talks at the nearby marina to promote responsible behaviour around dolphins. We hope to gain some external funding for this work and for it to begin in late spring 2016. This plan will enable us to work more flexibly, and without the fixed costs that running the Kessock Centre includes.

The Scottish Dolphin Centre is unaffected by these changes and is open at weekends in February and March, and 7 days a week from 25th March (Good Friday).