According to a documentary shown on Norwegian TV about 90% of minke whales hunted and killed by Norwegian whaling vessels are females and the majority of those are pregnant.
Whale and dolphin captivity giant, SeaWorld has announced that its staff are preparing for what should be the last orca calf to be born into captivity at one of its facilities. The calf is expected to be delivered in the next four to six weeks at SeaWorld San Antonio.
Just under a year ago, Sea World announced that it would end orca breeding but Takara, a 25-year-old orca originally from SeaWorld San Diego, was already pregnant when the announcement was made.
Scientists have recorded video footage of a group of True's beaked whales, one the world's most elusive whales, for the first time.
Norway´s fisheries minister, Per Sandberg has announced that he would like to see more whales killed by Norwegian hunting vessels, and also would like to sell the meat to the EU.
On a Rising Tide, by WDC’s very own field officer, Charlie Phillips has been named the Scottish nature photography book of 2016.
It features almost 100 images alongside Charlie’s accounts and recollections of recording the bottlenose dolphins that live in the Moray Frith, Scotland over many years.
SeaWorld's latest financial results showed that around 30,000 fewer people visited its marine parks during the final quarter of 2016. Revenues were also down year-on-year as the company made a loss of nearly $12 million US dollars.
A number of staff lost their jobs last year as part of an on-going cost-cutting exercise as the company attempts to turn around its fortunes following years of criticism over its continued display of orcas in captivity.
Just as public opinion turns against keeping orcas in captivity, China has decided to launch a new orca-breeding facility.
Nine orcas have been revealed to the public, five male and four female, at the country's new breeding base at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Guangdong Province.
The move seems particularly strange coming as it does when organizations around the world are looking to end such breeding programmes like this and the public turns its back on cruel captivity shows.
The growing numbers of dolphins and porpoises washing up dead on the south west coast of the UK is continuing to cause concern.
Over 100 have been reported dead on beaches in Cornwall and in fishing boat nets in eight weeks, according to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, bringing the toll for last year to 205.
Video footage taken by an animal welfare NGO in Indonesia has revealed the terrible conditions that dolphins are being kept in by travelling circuses in the country.
The creatures are put into tiny crates prior to being shipped between locations. They are then forced to perform in tiny tanks in shows that include having to leap through burning hoops. Local group, the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, are calling for an end to the practice, and for the local airline, Sriwikaya Air, to stop carrying the dolphins.
Another positive step in WDC’s campaign to end whale and dolphin captivity was taken today with an announcement by Virgin Holidays stating that they will no longer sign up any new attractions that feature captive whales and dolphins for theatrical shows, contact sessions (such as ‘swim-with’ programmes) or other entertainment purposes.
