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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...

Icelandic whale watch community rallies to assist entangled humpback whale

We’re currently following efforts by local whale watch companies and the coastguard to assist an entangled humpback whale in Faxafloi Bay, near Reykjavik, Iceland. The whale appears to be badly entangled in fishing gear and unfortunately, poor weather and sea conditions have further complicated rescue efforts.

WDC has been helping to facilitate contact between Elding Whale Watching, IceWhale and others working at the scene, and entanglement experts in the US and UK. Efforts to approach a distressed whale sufficiently closely so as to be able to attempt to disentangle it are naturally fraught with difficulties and can be extremely dangerous. It is, therefore, essential that experts are available to provide the right advice.

The various stakeholders are due to meet today to discuss next moves and everyone is hoping that sea conditions may improve over the weekend. Meantime, the whale watch vessels are observing the whale’s behaviour, taking photos and video footage and working out what type of fishing gear is involved and how and where it is attached to the whale. The whale has been eating, which is a good sign.

We will provide updates and of course hope for a positive outcome. What is already heartening is that so many people are trying their best to assist this whale and in so doing, are sending out a clear message in support of live whales and whale conservation in the waters around Iceland.

Support our campaign to see Iceland made famous as a Whale Nation not a whaling nation

About Vanessa Williams-Grey

Policy manager - Stop Whaling and Responsible Whale Watching