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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...

Orcas held in Russian whale jail face threat from ice

The 11 orcas captured last year for sale to China and currently held along with 87 beluga whales in small sea pens described as a ‘whale jail’ near Vladivostok, may start dying after many have reportedly developed frostbite.

As temperatures begin to drop at the site, ice is starting to form on the surface of the water which staff there are now having to break up each day.

All of the whales kept at the ‘whale jail’ were taken last summer from the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan, to then be sold to dolphinaria. It is the largest number of marine mammals to be held in this way, and prosecutors are said to be investigating whether the orcas and belugas are being kept in the tiny enclosures illegally.

Orcas are warm-blooded marine mammals, spending most of their time underwater. Kept in the confines of the freezing pens, they run the risk of not being able to regulate their body temperature or move a freely as they need to stay alive.

WDC is working to establish a sanctuary for beluga whales held in captivity – read more.

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