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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...

Longest migration – gray or humpback whales?

The news has embraced gray whales as the new winner for the longest mammal migration title, a superlative long thought to belong humpback whales. However, does the recently-released research really give the edge to gray whales?   In the case of the gray whale, tagging data provided the distance calculation, however, migration distances are typically based on calculating the shortest possible path between two points as researchers know where an individual moved from and where they went to, but not necessarily the exact path they took.  While there is no denying the gray whale movements are impressive, a straight line calculation, rather than actual movements, calls the migration title into question.  Researchers from Allied Whale, who curate the North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog, matched photos of a humpback whale who migrated from the Russian Arctic to the Dominican Republic, a journey of comparable length to the gray whale, but in the Atlantic.  So the question remains as to whether gray or humpback whales hold the title as the Longest Migrating Mammal.  Perhaps it belongs to another species entirely.  As we continue to learn more about these amazing whales, we realize there is still so much to discover! 

 Migration paths of a gray and humpback whale

{But truth be told, we are hoping humpbacks remain the champs as we root for WDC’s humpback whale adoption star travelers, like Coral and Reflection.  Thanks to all our, past, current, and future whale adoptors who help to support WDC’s work, and share our vision of a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free! Interested in adopting a whale for yourself or as a gift? Go to WDC’s adoption page and thank you for your support!}

About Regina Asmutis-silvia

Executive director - WDC North America