Posts Tagged ‘Rights’
Unlocking the secrets of whale and dolphin societies
Arguably more than anything else, photo-identification, or “photo-ID,” opened the door to our appreciation of whales and dolphins as individuals. WDC researchers and close collaborators have had a key role in the development and use of photo-ID, and it’s still the fundamental tool that we use in our work with North Atlantic right whales off…
Read MoreSperm whales: keeping up with the Joneses
Keeping up with all the research published on whales and dolphins from around the world is a daunting task these days. There is now more research published every month on whales and dolphins than ever before. This is good news for conservation, helping us to evolve better understanding about the complex lives of this fascinating…
Read MoreSperm whale study reveals new insight into social networks
The latest research from scientists studying the sounds made by sperm whales, has revealed fascinating new details into the social networks these whales live in. Professor Hal Whitehead, Mauricio Cantor and colleagues from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, studying the clicks made by sperm whales in the eastern Pacific near the Galapagos Islands over an…
Read MoreBat and dolphin hearing link uncovered
According to a new study, scientists have discovered that the brains of bats and dolphins are remarkably similar. Researchers behind the study state that unlike most mammals, which have one area of the brain linked to hearing, bats and dolphins actually have two. Experts think this has something to do with these two creatures’ use…
Read MoreWise words on what it means to be a ‘legal person’
Professor Steve Wise of the Non-human Rights Project made a presentation at TED describing how he and colleagues have been navigating a course for the transformation of chimpanzees from ‘legal things’ (like chairs or pencils) to ‘legal persons’. The presentation is now available on the TED website, is only 14 minutes long and is well…
Read MoreStudy reveals dolphins like to hang out with friends
A new study has shed more light on the social networks that dolphins form. Researchers observing a group of dolphins in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon have found that dolphins, just like us, hang out with friends in ‘gangs’: The six year study revealed that the dolphins would mix with ‘friends’ in specific areas of the…
Read MoreGuest review of a new book on culture in whales and dolphins
I have pleasure in introducing another guest blog by Icelander and WDC friend, Kris Hjalmarsson, who reviews a brand new book exploring ‘culture’ in whales and dolphins. As a frequent visitor to the WDC website, I feel fortunate that I have been given this opportunity to post my review of a recently-released book, The Cultural…
Read MoreAre Orcas non-human persons?
Kathleen Haase, who developed her own petition to ask British Airways to stop selling trips to SeaWorld, has been volunteering for WDC, working with us on our anti-captivity campaigns. Here she provides some insighful thoughts on orcas in captivity and their right to freedom. Are Orcas non-human persons? “To be, or not to be, that…
Read MoreSan Francisco recognises whales’ and dolphins’ right to freedom
Reports are emerging of a landmark resolution passed this week by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors recognising whales’ and dolphins’ right to freedom from captivity. According to reports the resolution states that whales and dolphins deserve ‘to be free of captivity, and to remain unrestricted in their natural environment’. The resolution was championed by…
Read MoreSo what’s the point of all this science?
Renowned philosopher Professor Thomas I White has been an advocate for recognising the rights of whales and dolphins for over two decades. He outlines his manifesto for recognising the personhood status of whales and dolphins in his Primer on Non-human Personhood and Cetacean Rights. Simply, he argues that the supporting scientific evidence now demonstrates that,…
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