Speaking truth to power – my week giving whales a voice
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting is where governments come together to make decisions about whaling and whale conservation. Our team was at this year’s convention to speak up for the whales. Well, that was an eventful experience. The conference of the International Whaling Commission (IWC, the body that regulates whale hunts) in Slovenia at the…
Read MoreFive Facts About Orcas
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are one of the most recognizable and popular species of whales and dolphins. Orcas are so fascinating and we wanted to share five of our favorite facts about them! 1. Orcas are black and white to help them camouflage in the ocean. Orcas are instantly recognizable due to their…
Read MoreUnderstanding whale and dolphin hunts in the Faroe Islands – why change is not easy
Most people in my home country of the Faroe Islands would like to see an end to the kind of dolphin hunt that sparked an outcry in September last year. Yet a poll has shown that a staggering 83% are in favour of continuing the traditional grindadráp, the slaughter of pilot whales. This is not…
Read MoreThe Faroes dolphin slaughter that sparked an outcry now brings hope
Since the slaughter of at least 1,423 Atlantic white-sided dolphins at Skálafjørður in my home country of the Faroe Islands, many people have raised their voices in outrage and concern – internationally, but also from within the Faroese community. I am Faroese and I feel the same way. That’s why I have joined WDC as…
Read MoreFaroe Islands whale and dolphin slaughter – what have we done and what are we doing?
The massacre of 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins at Skálafjørður on the Faroe Islands on 12th September 2021 was beyond horrific. It was senseless, barbaric and has rightly shocked the world and many Faroese people. The suffering of the individual dolphins is unimaginable and there can be no justification for this brutality. We can only hope…
Read MoreThe horror – reflecting on the massacre of 1,428 dolphins on the Faroe Islands
Like you and millions of people around the globe, I felt horrified by the news that 1,428 beautiful Atlantic white-sided dolphins had been slaughtered in a drive hunt on the shores of the Faroe Islands on 12th September 2021. This news and the staggering number of individuals massacred actually took some time to sink in.…
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 MoreEnd the whale hunts! Icelandic fin whaler isolated as public mood shifts
Here’s a sight I hoped never again to witness. A boat being scrubbed and repainted on Reykjavik harbour will generally arouse little attention from passing tourists, but this is different and far more chilling. This is the Hvalur 8. It is a fin whaling vessel and it is being readied to return to the high…
Read MoreSOS alert for whales off Norway!
I have to admit to bitter disappointment when I arrived in Tromsø, northern Norway, a few weeks ago, hoping to see orcas, only to find that I had missed them by a few days. Since 2013, the orcas have been seen really close to shore in the waters around Tromsø and neighbouring Kvaløya islands, towering…
Read MoreMajor airline alliance not willing to help stop Japan’s dolphin slaughter
I’m sure you are as sickened as I am that every year from September to April, dolphins and small whales are still subjected to a bombardment of stress and cruelty in Taiji, Japan as they are hunted for meat or captured alive for display in zoos and aquaria. This annual bloodbath flies in the face…
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