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Trade sanctions announced after Mexico fails to protect near extinct porpoise

The international body behind the treaty that protects endangered plants and animals from the threats...

WDC exposes failure of Government scheme to protect whales and dolphins from net deaths

Following our investigations, we have revealed that a UK Government scheme to protect whales and...

First cases of bird flu in dolphins discovered in the UK

The UK Government has announced that two dolphins and a harbour porpoise have died from...
Kiska the orca

Kiska the ‘world’s loneliest whale’ dies at Canadian theme park

Kiska, dubbed the loneliest whale in the world, has died at Marineland, a zoo and...

Whale watch boat sinks off Canada: five British passengers dead

A whale watching boat sank yesterday off the coast of British Columbia, western Canada, leaving at least 5 Britons dead.

The vessel, the Leviathan II, a 65-foot cruiser sank off Tofino, Vancouver Island, with 27 passengers aboard.  Twenty-one passengers have been rescued but one person is still missing.

First on the scene were members of the nearby Ahousat First Nation community, who saw flares and responded immediately, rescuing many stricken passengers.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. Coastguards have reported that sea conditions at the time were calm, however local fishermen in claim that those waters can, at times, become ‘like a washing machine’.

The Leviathan II is operated by whale watch company, Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres.  Owner, Jamie Bray, issued a statement expressing the company’s deep sorrow at the accident. “It has been a tragic day. Our entire team is heartbroken over this incident. We are doing everything we can to assist our passengers and staff through this difficult time. We are cooperating with investigators to determine exactly what happened.”

In  March1998, a vessel owned by the same whale watch company capsized in the same area, Plover Reefs, killing the captain and a German tourist.

WDC extends sincere condolences to all those involved in, or affected by, this tragic incident.


About Vanessa Williams-Grey

Policy manager - Stop Whaling and Responsible Whale Watching