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Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...
Narwhal with beluga whales

Unusual Whale Adoptions

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Irrawaddy dolphin

Helping fishers protect dolphins in Sarawak, Borneo

Fishing nets are bad news for dolphins and porpoises, so we're working with local fishers...
Dolphin watching from Chanonry Point, Scotland. Image: WDC/Charlie Phillips

Discovering inner peace – whale and dolphin watching and mental wellbeing

Guest blog If you've ever seen whales or dolphins in the wild, you'll know that...
Whale tail

An ocean of hope

In a monumental, jaw-dropping demonstration of global community, the nations of the world made history...
North Atlantic right whale Porcia and her calf.

Critically Endangered Right Whale Babies Spotted

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
The infamous killing cove at Taiji, Japan

Why the Taiji dolphin hunt can never be justified

Supporters of the dolphin slaughter in Japan argue that killing a few hundred dolphins every...
Image: Peter Linforth

Tracking whales from space will help us save them

Satellite technology holds one of the keys to 21st century whale conservation, so we're exploring...

Right Whale Obituary Series: Reyna

Reyna the Right Whale

In 2004, the day before Thanksgiving, Reyna was struck and killed by a large ship off the Virginia coast. She was 15 years old and ten months pregnant with her first calf, which was another female; Reyna was going to give birth to a daughter.

Reyna was born in 1989 in Florida to her mother, named Rat. Reyna is survived by her mother and four brothers. Reyna spent her early summers with her mother in Cape Cod Bay before moving to the Bay of Fundy as an adult. She spent winters in Florida and Georgia until her death.

Despite a lifelong struggle with scoliosis, Reyna was the epitome of strength and beauty throughout her life. In 2009, Reyna – the Spanish word for “queen”- received her name from a New Bedford fifth-grader.

She now rests in a place of honor with her daughter at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Her remains were delivered to the museum with great fanfare, having been driven through a blizzard from North Carolina. Thousands of ships will pass through Reyna’s home waters from the Bay of Fundy to Florida every year and pose a further risk to her family and friends. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting your support of the continuation of the NA Right Whale Ship Strike Speed Rule to prevent these tragic incidents from continuing.

Here is a picture of the skeleton of Reyna’s calf, on display with the skeleton of her mother in the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.