Posts by Courtney Vail
Putting Dolphins First
With its recent announcement that it will absolutely be pursuing the development of a sanctuary for the dolphins in its care, the National Aquarium in Baltimore has solidified its position as an industry leader in redefining and legitimizing a more natural alternative for the managed care of captive dolphins. The Aquarium has revealed its progressive…
Read MoreAnother dolphin found shot in the Gulf of Mexico
WDC has reported on the growing number of incidents of dolphin vandalism in the Gulf of Mexico over the past several years, and has even offered rewards to encourage the public to help identify the perpetrators of these crimes. We have shared our concern about an apparent and emerging regional trend involving the directed violence…
Read MoreGroups Welcome Federal Agency’s Decision to Protect Russian Beluga Whales
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Cetacean Society International (CSI), and Earth Island Institute (EII) lauded the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for its proposed designation of the Sakhalin Bay-Amur River population of beluga whales in Russia as depleted under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). A depleted designation would…
Read MoreSeaWorld’s stunning announcement: A sunset on orcas in captivity?
SeaWorld’s recent announcement that it will immediately end its captive breeding program for orcas throughout all of its parks, alongside a phasing out of its traditional orca performances and shows to make way for a more ‘natural’ visitor experience by 2019, was met with a fair amount of surprise from the public, and from within the…
Read MoreDolphin Drive Hunt Season Nears its end in Taiji
As the month of February comes to an end and another March begins, we hold our collective breath, waiting for a signal that the brutal dolphin drive hunt season has come to an end—at least for this year—and providing an unfortunate opportunity to take stock of the devastating toll these hunts continue to take on…
Read MoreDolphins in the Desert—what’s wrong with this picture?
What do a seemingly innocuous article circulating in the Mexican media in early January and a profile piece on an amusement park industry website have in common? They give a glimpse of the firestorm that is about to erupt in the desert of central Arizona if reports are true as WDC has just learned of a proposed…
Read MoreAll Eyes on London
The brutal drive hunts that occur annually in the Japanese coastal town of Taiji have taken their toll this season. At least 365 dolphins of mixed species have been slaughtered in the killing cove, with 91 being selected alive from these hunts and sentenced to a lifetime in captivity, either in Japanese facilities, or shipped…
Read MoreNo reprieve for dolphins in Taiji
December has been a brutal month for dolphins in Taiji, Japan. Reports from the ground reveal the tragic chase, capture and slaughter of over 100 dolphins in an intense few weeks of hunting. At least eight Risso’s dolphins were herded and killed on December 17th, and a day later, a large pod of striped dolphins…
Read MoreCelebrating WDC-North America’s 10 Year Anniversary: Slow but Steady Progress Towards an End to Captivity
As WDC celebrates its ten years in North America, we have been reflecting on both our achievements and the work that still needs to be done. We often use the analogy of our conservation work being like running a marathon – there are many hills to tackle, but as long as we are moving in…
Read MoreFirst pilot whales of the season killed in Taiji
Reports from Taiji reveal the brutal struggle of a large pod of pilot whales that were chased, captured and held for several days before their slaughter. On November 19th, at least 50 pilot whales, including mothers and calves, were driven into the cove. They were held overnight, and separated into two groups the following day.…
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