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Birth announcement! First right whale calf of the 2024 calving season spotted

Two New England-based nonprofits awarded nearly $400k federal grant

© Peter Flood November 20, 2023 — Contact: Jake O’Neill, Conservation Law Foundation, (617) 850-1709, [email protected] Regina Asmutis-Silvia, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, (508) 451-3853, [email protected] Whale and Dolphin Conservation and Conservation Law Foundation secure federal grant to improve on-demand fishing gear Massachusetts-based conservation organizations, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) are…

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North Atlantic right whale population has stabilized

WDC attends Ropeless Consortium and North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium WDC was in Canada this week for the Ropeless and North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium meetings where researchers, fishermen, gear manufacturers, and policy makers gathered to discuss the progress of on-demand fishing and updates on the distribution and health of critically endangered North Atlantic right…

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Emergency Right Whale Petition Seeks Overdue Protections From Vessel Strikes

This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller cuts on its back and head, broken ribs, and bruising. Photo: FWC/Tucker Joenz, NOAA Fisheries permit #18786 For Immediate Release, September 28, 2023 — Contact: Kristen Monsell, Center for Biological Diversity, (914) 806-3467, [email protected] Jake O’Neill, Conservation Law Foundation, (617)…

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Ancient whale may have been heavier than blue whale

blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may have been heavier than a blue whale, up to now thought to be the heaviest creature ever to have lived on Earth. The fossils of the whale , known as a basilosaurid, were discovered 13 years ago in southern Peru…

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Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA were treated to a particularly amazing experience when three humpbacks breached in perfect synchronisation in front of them. The video was taken off Cape Cod in the Gulf of Maine which humpbacks visit each year in order to feed during…

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Whales Make Waves Off Manomet Point

Humpback whale lunge feeding off Manomet Point Credit:John Chisholm/MA Sharks Update July 25th, 2022: On Sunday, July 24th, a humpback breached and landed on the front of a small vessel. The operator reported no injuries and no major damage that affected the seaworthiness of the vessel. Plymouth Harbormaster is working with the Massachusetts Environmental Police to…

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Elusive whale seen alive for the first time

Using DNA evidence, scientists have been able to officially confirm the first live sightings of the Sato’s beaked whale. Up to now the only Sato’s whales seen have been the few that have washed up dead and some unconfirmed reports from whale hunters. As a result, we know very little about their lives, habits, where…

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Fin whales return to old feeding grounds in Southern Ocean

Fin whale

An exciting discovery by researchers in the waters around Antarctica suggest that fin whales are starting to return to their former feeding grounds. During the first part of the 20th century, commercial whaling decimated whale numbers in the region as whalers reduced populations to a fraction of their original figure. By the time it become…

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