🐳🐬Your monthly whale and dolphin update🐳🐬WDC

Welcome to your August enews

As the summer holidays draw to a close, we want to say a massive thank you for your help in encouraging UK tourists not to go to whale and dolphin shows or swim-with-dolphins experiences while they are abroad. Look out for your special Don’t Go To The Show campaign email next Thursday for all the latest news.

Because of your support over the past year, we’ve made giant strides towards ending captivity forever – let’s take a moment to reflect on all we’ve achieved together.

• Last year marked 30 years since the last dolphinarium in the UK closed its doors
• You enabled us to host an event at the Houses of Parliament making MPs aware that whale and dolphin captivity has not yet been banned in the UK
• We took your signatures to 10 Downing Street, urging the UK government to make it illegal to hold a whale or dolphin in a tank
• You convinced Thomas Cook, easyJet holidays and Jet2holidays to stop selling tickets to these cruel circuses 

We have a long way to go and some big plans, and with your support, we will do everything we can to make this generation of captive whales and dolphins the last.

Before you dive into your whale and dolphin updates, click on the link below to discover everything else you made possible for whales, dolphins and porpoises in 2023. 

DIVE IN

We were delighted to meet and thank some of you in person at our Supporter Day in Gloucestershire. This was a first and we hope to open it up to even more of you in the future. We’ll share highlights from the day in your September e-newsletter.

Thank you for helping to create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

Hayley Flanagan and Julia Pix, engagement team at WDC

Emerging heroes 

Children are our future, and they will play a massive part in ending whale and dolphin captivity. We asked 2,000 UK kids how they feel about visiting marine attractions, and the results are eye-opening.

FIND OUT HERE

Worlds apart

Our End Captivity campaigner Rob recalls the feeling of seeing his first wild dolphin and explains how watching them trapped behind a glass panel or swimming with them in a sea pen can never compare. Do you agree?

DIVE IN

Win weekly

The BIG summer raffle has now closed. While we wait for the winners to be announced, did you know we have a weekly lottery? You can win a cash prize every week!

ENTER HERE

Toasty toes

Step into autumn with Doris & Dude’s new bamboo socks. Eco-friendly and designed for ultimate comfort, these stylish socks keep your feet warm and cozy – perfect for the cooler seasons ahead.

SHOP NOW

Play today

We’ve partnered with 11bit studios on Creatures of Ava, now available on Steam for £20.99. Don’t forget to add on the £2.49 WDC Charity Backpack Trinkets DLC – a portion of the proceeds will help support our work.

SHOP NOW

Devastating decision

The Japanese Ministry of Fisheries has added fin whales to the whalers‘ kill list. Experts have warned that at worst the hunt could lead to a 40% decline in the local population in just four years.

FULL STORY

Working within

Click the image to watch our video from our visit to Norway, where we participated in the nation’s largest political conference, speaking directly to those who could one day end the hunts. Or, read the full story by clicking below.

FULL STORY

Challenge yourself 

We conducted a survey asking which challenge events you’d love to take on in support of WDC. Join our all-new mailing list to be the first to hear about exclusive event updates and opportunities!

SIGN UP NOW

Please consider making a donation today

DONATE NOW

URGENT APPEAL: Stop Japan hunting fin whales — WDC

Keine Bilder? Klick hier

Spenden Sie heute, um diese grausamen Jagden zu stoppen

Ich schreibe Ihnen heute schweren Herzens und einem dringenden Plädoyer. Gestern erteilte die japanische Regierung die Erlaubnis, Finnwale in den Gewässern um Japan zu jagen und zu töten. Finnwale sind die zweitgrößten Kreaturen auf unserem Planeten und von der IUCN für verwundbar erklärt, aber 59 schöne Individuen könnten in dieser Jagdsaison sterben.

Trotz überwältigender Umwelteinflüsse Organisationen und Regierungsvertreter, Japan treibt diese Jagd voran. Ihre Rechtfertigung? Sie behaupten, dass Flossenwale im Nordpazifik reichlich vorhanden sind. Ich weiß, dass Sie zustimmen werden, dass es keine Rechtfertigung dafür gibt, diese intelligenten, schönen Wesen zu töten.

HELP STOP THE HUNTS

Experten warnen, dass diese Jagd die lokale Ballenbevölkerung in nur vier Jahren um bis zu 40% dezimieren könnte.

Wir können nicht zusehen, wie dies geschieht. Ihre Unterstützung wird einen echten Unterschied im Kampf machen, um diese sinnlose Jagd zu stoppen und diese verletzlichen Ozeanriesen zu schützen.

Eine Spende heute könnte helfen:

Lobby international Organe und Regierungen, die unverzüglich gegen die Entscheidung Japans vorgehen.

Unterstützen Sie japanische Aktivisten, um Veränderungen von der en-ins zu schaffen.

Unterstützen Rechtsbemühungen, Japan für die Verletzung von Völkerrecht zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen.

Sensibil für die Notlage der Flossenwale und mobilisieren öffentlichen Widerstand gegen diese Jagd.

Jede Spende bringt uns dem Ende dieses grausamen und unnötigen Gemees einen Schritt näher.

DONATE TODAY TO STOP THE HUNTS

Luke McMillan, Leiter der Jagd am WDC

Find out about our new #DontGoToTheShow campaign! — WDC

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No images? Click here

Welcome to your July enews

We want to say a massive thank you for all your support in our campaign to end whale and dolphin captivity. Over the last decade, you’ve helped us convince tour operator after tour operator to stop promoting attractions that keep whales and dolphins in tanks for human entertainment. Just this year, easyJet holidays and Jet2holidays became the latest major travel companies to stop selling tickets to these cruel circuses. 

But, the thing is, UK tourists still flock to these attractions when they are on holiday, and swimming with dolphins remains high on many people’s ‚bucket lists‘.

That’s why this summer, we’ve launched our new #DontGoToTheShow campaign. We’re running ads in UK airports and online to encourage holidaymakers to think twice before visiting captive whale or dolphin attractions while they are abroad.

FIND OUT MORE

We’re sure people don’t intend to support cruelty; they just don’t realise that the dolphin or orca is trapped, forced to perform for tourist after tourist, over and over again, all day, every day, long after holidaymakers have gone home.

You’ve already helped us create incredible change across the travel industry, now this is our opportunity to convince people not to support cruelty when they are abroad. 

Thank you so much for all your support. Together, we will end captivity forever.

Hayley Flanagan and Julia Pix, engagement team at WDC

Faroese insight

We’re working to change hearts and minds in the Faroes to end the hunts. But first, we need to understand local perceptions – so we conducted a poll. Click below to find out what Faroese communities had to say.

FIND OUT HERE

Play today

Want to make a difference for critically endangered harbour porpoises in the Baltic Sea? Play for a porpoise in the summer raffle and you could win £1,000 while helping save these beautiful beings from extinction. 

PLAY TODAY

Pixels with porpoise

Explore our game sale and grab a bundle of seven awesome games at a super low price. Plus, a portion of every purchase will be donated to WDC to help create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

BUY NOW

Tragic stranding

Heartbreakingly, a family pod of 77 pilot whales have died after stranding on a beach in Orkney, Scotland. Our Shorewatch coordinator Emma Steel, attended the scene to help with investigations. 

FULL STORY

Antarctic adventure

Our new partners, Intrepid Travel, are offering up to 30% off select awe-inspiring Antarctica trips for the 2024/2025 season. Book before 16 August to secure your trip, plus get a whale or dolphin adoption and a 10% donation to WDC.

BOOK NOW

Did you know?

60% of children don’t want to see whales and dolphins in tanks? We’re asking parents and guardians to ask their children before they visit a show.

WATCH

Summer tees

Brighten up your summer days with our new royal blue humpback print t-shirt! This cheerful and vibrant design is perfect for making a statement in the sun.

SHOP NOW

Please consider making a donation today

DONATE NOW

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

Your June whale and dolphin update🐬– WDC

https://wdcwhaleanddolphinconservation.cmail20.com/t/j-e-gvldhy-hytjirkiz-ju/

Re-whale the ocean on World Rewilding Day 🐳🌍 — WDC

For us, for them, for the planet 🌍

Happy World Rewilding Day 2024!

Rewilding is a conservation method with a focus on the restoration of wild animal populations, whilst restoring habitats and eliminating threats different species face. This helps to create a resilient planet and inspiration for a sustainable future. Traditionally, rewilding projects have focused on land, which amounts to just 29% of the planet. But this World Rewilding Day, we’re focusing on the other 71% – the ocean.

That’s where you come in. We need to re-whale the ocean! Whales are natures Climate Giants, because just by existing they help the ocean absorb more carbon and release more oxygen than all of Earth’s forests combined. We need to restore the number of whales and dolphins to their pre-hunting populations to helpre-whale the ocean. But we can only do this with your help. 

When you become a Climate Giant Hero, you’ll receive your quarterly magazine, Whale & Dolphin, to show the huge impact your support is making.

Become a Climate Giant Hero today

Are you gambling more than you really want to? If you feel you have a problem with gambling, please visit the BeGambleAware website for help and advice or contact The National Gambling Helpline number on 0808 8020133 (lines open 8am to midnight).

HELP MICHELIN TO TAKE WHALES OFF THE MENU — WDC

We’ve been engaging with Michelin to urge them to change the course and stop endorsing restaurants that have whale meat on the menu. We need your help to show that the public is behind this action by encouraging Michelin to make the right decision.

Together we can take whales off the menu.

Read our letter to MichelinExpand

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Choose ‘Yes’ to receive your monthly email newsletter packed with campaign updates and the latest whale and dolphin news and pictures, as well as occasional emails letting you know how you can help.

https://uk.whales.org/our-goals/stop-whaling/michelin-take-whales-off-the-menu/?cam=referrer_fixed&ref=CS-WHAL-24-02-16-CAM&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Michelin%20-%20change%20the%20course%20full&utm_content=Michelin%20-%20change%20the%20course%20full+CID_0a1adb3da5439a3801b25869a4f4142c&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor%20WDC&utm_term=SIGN%20THE%20LETTER%20TO%20MICHELIN

Support Michelin to lead the way!

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No images? Click here

Michelin represents the gold standard in fine dining. If you think about excellence in the restaurant industry, you probably think about Michelin with its stars and its guide. So, it might come as a shock to hear that the Michelin Guide recommends eating in restaurants that have whale meat on the menu, and even rewards some with a Michelin Star.

For 18 months, we’ve been lobbying Michelin to change their standards and we’ve made great progress. We’ve had some extremely positive conversations with Michelin, and they want to work with us to do the right thing. 

We want Michelin to change the course and ensure that restaurants that serve whale meat are no longer included in the Michelin Guide and can no longer receive a star. We need you to show that the public is behind them, encouraging them to make the right decision. Together we can take whales off the menu.

SIGN THE LETTER TO MICHELIN

Your support is essential, as without you there will be no change. We need people worldwide to join our campaign to inspire Michelin to make the right decision and save whales.

Before you read on to find out more, I want to say a massive thank you for your support. Together, we will create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. 

SIGN THE LETTER TO MICHELIN

You might wonder how getting Michelin to help us take whales off the menu in fine dining restaurants will make a difference. Most of us don’t eat in Michelin-starred restaurants, and if we do, it’s rare treat. But Michelin are hugely influential.

Many of our TV chefs have a Michelin Star and it’s the dream of aspiring cooks on shows like Masterchef. A firm stand by Michelin will send a clear message, throughout the world of food, that eating whales is unacceptable.

Whales are worth more to us alive in the ocean than dead on a plate. 

The ocean is our greatest climate crisis solution, absorbing more carbon and releasing more oxygen than all of Earth’s forests combined – we all need a healthy ocean, and that means whales.

Whales are intelligent, sentient, self-aware, emotional beings. 

Being chased by a boat and shot by a harpoon that explodes inside their body is a terrifying and agonising way to die.

It’s common for multiple harpoons to be used to kill a whale and it can take up to two hours for a harpooned whale to die.

Pregnant females are often the victims of hunting as they are slower and therefore easier to target. This means the next generation of whales die with their mothers.

SIGN THE LETTER TO MICHELIN

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

🐳🐬Your February whale and dolphin update🐳🐬

Welcome to your February enews

The year has just begun, and thanks to your support, we already have positive news to share!

Every year, more than 9,000 common dolphins die in fishing nets in the Bay of Biscay. Now, following years of campaigning by us and our friends in other organisations, the French government has banned almost all commercial fishing activities in this area from 22nd January to 20th February. 

This is a monumental win for the dolphins, and for all of us who have having been working hard behind the scenes for action, including you. Strategically timed during a peak fishing season, this one-month closure of fisheries has the potential to save thousands of dolphins. Although the ban’s duration is shorter than we’d hoped, it is an indicator that the French government is committed to finding solutions to this long-standing issue.

Your support was pivotal in achieving this victory. Because of you, these majestic beings can enjoy a much-needed respite from the constant threat of entanglement. Thank you so much.

To find out more, click on the button below:

DIVE DEEPER

On behalf of whales and dolphins everywhere, thank you for all your support.

Hayley Flanagan and Julia Pix, engagement team at WDC

WDC in Norway

Did you know more whales are killed each year by Norwegian whalers than in Japan and Iceland? WDC’s Lottie, a Norwegian herself, is uniting local activists and sparking change where it counts, within Norway.

TELL ME MORE

Seaweed wigs

Humpback whales play with clumps of floating kelp. A favourite game seems to be flinging kelp onto their heads, creating a seaweed wig. But why do they do it?

FIND OUT HERE

A year of impact

We’re celebrating one year of Games For Waves! Thanks to our amazing community and industry partners, we’ve raised over £1 million for vital whale and dolphin conservation projects worldwide. 

READ MORE

Iceland update

Fisheries Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir has faced political backlash since suspending whaling. We’re sad to share she is now facing health issues, but the Icelandic prime minister has stepped in to her role temporarily.

FULL STORY

Japanese whaling

Hardly anyone in Japan eats whale meat, yet hundreds of whales are killed each year. WDC’s Katrin explores whether whaling is an indispensable part of Japanese culture, or merely upheld by a minority.

DIVE DEEPER

Future protection

By including a gift in your Will, you can help future-proof the protection of whales and dolphins for generations to come. Write your Will for FREE today through our partnership with Octopus Legacy. 

CHECK IT OUT

Dolphin-safe sunscreen

This month, £1 from each UpCircle SPF 25 Mineral Sunscreen sold on their UK and EU sites will be donated to WDC. Use DOLPHIN20 to get 20% off.

SHOP NOW

Norway increase kills

Norway’s government has increased the total number of whales allowed to be killed by hunters this season to 1,157 individuals. That’s 157 more whales than last year. Rest assured, we’re working hard to stop this cruelty for good. 

FULL STORY

Exciting news

We’re thrilled to unveil a brand-new interactive exhibition at our Scottish Dolphin Centre. Visit today to dive into the enchanting world of whales and dolphins through our captivating visual and audio experiences.

EXPLORE

Orca accessories

These smart Orca Buffs provide UV protection, are windproof and are made from 100% recycled plastic waste.  Perfect for those sunny but chilly mornings, and small enough to pop into your pocket.

SHOP NOW

Please consider making a donation today

DONATE NOW

Help safeguard whales, dolphins and their habitats today? — WDC

Today is Giving Tuesday.

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Firstly, I wanted to say thank you so much, your support reminds us that so many people like you care about protecting whales and dolphins.

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day when everyone, everywhere can do something to support the good causes that mean so much. I hope you may be able to help with a project which is close to my heart, our citizen science project, Shorewatch. I have the joy of working with over 200 Shorewatch volunteers who take part in 10-minute land-based surveys for whales and dolphins off the coast of Scotland. My wish is to expand this project to recruit and train more volunteers. 

We have already secured over half the funds. A small gift from you will take us closer to being able to expand Shorewatch and help safeguard whale and dolphin habitats around Scotland. Can you help today?

YES, I WILL DONATE

My favourite species are the Risso’s dolphins, whose big, unique, scar-covered bodies are regularly seen around the Isle of Lewis.  Together, with our Shorewatch volunteers and WDC researchers, we have catalogued around 300 individual Risso’s dolphins and determined that they use this area as a year-round feeding and breeding ground.  In 2020, this hard work led to the Scottish government designating these waters as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) for Risso’s dolphins. But we can’t stop there.

A donation will help protect all species that use this MPA and discover what other species use this area through our Shorewatch volunteers.

We need to raise £40,000 and have already secured £26,000 to support our fieldwork in the Isle of Lewis thanks to RS Macdonald and NatureScot, so your donation today will have an even bigger impact.

I WOULD LIKE TO HELP

​We know times are challenging right now, but we wanted to let you know we are so incredibly grateful for your support .

Katie Dyke, Shorewatch Coordinator

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. Please read our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

🐋 Your October whale and dolphin news — WDC

You helped keep the ban on hunting whales

Our expert team has been at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission. This is where governments make decisions about the conservation of whales.

We were campaigning to make sure the ban on commercial whaling was upheld – and we succeeded. We were also convincing policymakers that we need to save the whale to save the world.

It’s your support that gets us to these meetings where huge decisions are made. Ed Goodall (meet him in the video above) and the team asked me to say a heartfelt ‚thank you so much‘ for the financial and moral support you give them.

Until next month,

Julia Pix

Please consider making a donation today

DONATE NOW

Have you signed yet?

More than 12,000 people have added their names to our letter to travel giant TUI, asking them to help make this generation of captive whales and dolphins the last. There’s still time to sign!

SIGN NOW

Shop with us today

This stunning t-shirt has been designed exclusively for WDC and comes in a choice of colours. It’s just one of the designs in our online shop. Shop with us today knowing that your money is helping whales and dolphins.

SHOP TODAY

Stories from the dark side

Whales and dolphins are too intelligent, too social and too mobile for life in a tank. Witnessing the impact captivity has had on the mental health of individual whales and dolphins really makes this fact hit home. Hear some of their stories.

REAL STORIES

Win £1,000 in our raffle

The Christmas raffle is now open. Just click the button below to play and help protect whales and dolphins. You’ll be in with the chance to win £1,000!  Play by 13 January 2023. Over 18+ and T&Cs apply.

PLAY TODAY

Why do whales strand?

If you’ve seen the heartbreaking images of pilot whales on New Zealand beaches, you might be wondering why whales and dolphins get into trouble like this. It’s WDC scientist Nicola Hodgins’s job to try to answer these questions.

TELL ME WHY

Watching the whalers

With our conservation partner in Iceland, Hard To Port, we raised the alarm with government officials that fired harpoons were failing to explode, prolonging the fin whales‘ agony. The fisheries minister made onboard monitoring compulsory.

FULL STORY

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

There’s another way you can help end captivity for good — WDC

Can you help stop captivity for good?

Can you help end the mental health crisis of captive whales and dolphins with a donation today?

Together, we have already persuaded Virgin Holidays, British Airways, Thomas Cook, TripAdvisor and Booking.com to stop selling tickets to captive whale and dolphin attractions and Expedia followed last year.

But there’s still more to do. Instead of signing our open letter to TUI, can you make a donation today to help persuade tour operators to stop funding this cruel practice?

YES, I’LL DONATE

We cannot fight for the mental and physical freedom of whales and dolphins without you. If everyone who received my letter gave a donation of £15, it would help to:

• Communicate your concerns to TUI at the World Travel Market,the leading international travel event
• Present to ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association, to ensure industry welfare guidelines stipulate ALL captive dolphin experiences are unacceptable
• Help tour operators phase out whale and dolphin exploitation and ensure captive individuals no longer have to perform
• Prevent the construction of new captive attractions by applying public pressure, lobbying authorities and implementing tighter in-country welfare legislation
• Work with tour operators and dolphin facilities to create coastal sanctuaries where captive whales and dolphins can ‘retire’ or be released

On behalf of whales and dolphins across the globe, thank you for helping to uncover the dark side of captivity,

Rob Lott, End Captivity campaign lead

DONATE TODAY

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.