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Pilot whale

How we need to support Faroese communities to end the whale and dolphin hunts

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specializing in creating brilliant content for our website...
Hope the inflatable whale

Meet a whale called Hope

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Harbour porpoise. Image: Charlie Phillips/WDC

Speaking up for the little guys – WDC in action

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Humpback whale fluke in Alaska.

An unforgettable first encounter – observing the whales we work to protect

I have kept a dark secret since joining WDC back in June 2021. Despite my...

Stranded Sowerby’s beaked whale on Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Today WDC assisted the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS) to post mortem a young (3.5 metre) Sowerby’s beaked whale at the Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.

Sowerby's beaked whale


The whale was male, had a good blubber layer and had been a healthy individual. Cause of death was a blunt force trauma that resulted in a fractured lower jaw. The injury meant that the whale was not able to feed and as a result his stomach was empty.

Sowerby's beaked whale

Sand in his lungs indicated that the whale live stranded (probably on Monday afternoon), but a lack of muscular bruising suggested that he died within a short time of stranding.

A few Sowerby’s beaked whales strand each year around Scotland and a complete record of Scottish strandings can be found on the SMASS website