Posts by Michelle Collins
Beluga move update from the SEA LIFE Trust and WDC
We wanted to let you know that the planned move back into the wild sea sanctuary for belugas, Little White and Little Grey has had to be postponed. Little White and Little Grey spent four months in the ocean at the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale sanctuary in 2020, and the return into their landside…
Read MoreEnter to win a virtual ticket to the pre-screening of National Geographic’s “Secrets of the Whales”
To celebrate Earth Day, National Geographic’s “Secrets of the Whales” is being released on Disney+ on April 22nd. This 4-part series plunges viewers deep within the epicenter of whale culture to experience the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures of five different whale species: orcas, humpbacks, belugas, narwhals and sperm whales. WDC is excited…
Read More‘Tis the Season to be Eco-Friendly
Happy Holidays from all of your favorite whale nerds! Yesterday, I was walking through the aisles of holiday supplies at a local store when I heard a couple having a jokingly heated argument about if a giftbox was technically considered “wrapping”. They asked me to be the tiebreaker and I firmly voted that a gift…
Read MoreBeluga Whale Sanctuary Winter 2020 Update
While we are thrilled at the progress that beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey have made in adapting to a more natural environment in the ocean sanctuary in last few weeks, the Icelandic winter storm season is approaching. The care team looking after Little White and Little Grey have decided to go ahead and…
Read MoreMy Gratitude List: Whales, Dolphins, and YOU
Like many others, my 2020 has included many phases – from the incredibly optimistic phase, the nervous to leave my house phase, the haven’t-worn-pants-without-an-elastic-band phase, the figuring out video meetings phase, to the thinking my dogs are the only ones who understand me phase. One of the phases that I went through involved obsessively trying…
Read MoreFrom Whaling to Whale Watching
The boat ride home on a whale watch can have many different moods. Sometimes you are coming down from your rush of adrenaline and are still so excited about all of the amazing whales you just saw. Sometimes you replay different moments in your mind over and over again. Sometimes you just need some water,…
Read MoreHow many right whales are left?
This week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the population estimate (aka number alive) for North Atlantic right whales is 366 whales as of January 2019. The previous population estimate from January 2018 was 412 whales. With a difference of 46 whales between estimates, I had some questions about how all of…
Read MoreMass stranding of pilot whales in Tasmania
Over 450 pilot whales have stranded in various locations along a stretch of coastline in a remote part of Tasmania in Australia. Originally it was thought around 270 whales were involved but another group was subsequently discovered. Around 380 whales are thought to have died in the waters around Macquarie Harbour near Strahan on the…
Read MoreSuccess! France to ban captivity of whales and dolphins in marine parks
WDC’s continued campaigning to end the keeping of whales and dolphins in captive facilities for human entertainment has received a big boost with the announcement by the French environment minister that the country will bring an end to this cruel practice. Barbara Pompili, France’s minister of ecological transition, revealed this week that a gradual ban…
Read MoreBelugas take ‘little steps’ into the ocean sanctuary
We are pleased to confirm that beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, have taken their first swim in their open water sanctuary home in Iceland – a project that WDC is working on in partnership with the SEA LIFE Trust . Carefully monitored by the whales’ expert care team, Little Grey and Little White…
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