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Japanese whaling ship

Infamous whale slaughter ship docks for the final time

The whaling ship, Nisshin Maru has returned to the port of Shimonoseki for the final...
Sperm whale

Dominica announces new protections for sperm whales

Dominica has placed almost 800 square kilometers of sea off the west coast of the...
Porpoise dies after becoming entangled in fishing net

UK government rejects chance to protect whales and dolphins

The government has formally rejected almost all of the crucial recommendations made in a House...
Common dolphins © Christopher Swann

Ocean areas selected for conservation are now in danger says task force

The international task force celebrating 10 years of work mapping out Important Marine Mammal Areas...

Tilikum's Health Rapidly Declining

WDC is saddened to hear the news that the health of Tilikum, the dark star of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, is deteriorating. SeaWorld reports that he has been lethargic for several weeks and is apparently suffering from a life-threatening bacterial infection in his lungs which they refer to as “chronic and progressive”. 

(Image of Tilikum “performing”/copyright P. Wigmore)

Tilikum 'performing' at SeaWorld


Despite WDC’s developing work to create sanctuaries for captive whales and dolphins, as well as Munchkin Founder Steve Dunn’s offer to support moving Tilikum to an ocean sanctuary where he could live out the remainder of his life, it appears that Tilikum will perish in captivity. Tilikum is a wild-caught, Icelandic orca taken from his family when he was just two years old and has spent the last 33 years confined.

We are heartbroken to learn of Tilikum’s fate, and although there is little we can do for Tilikum at this moment, we CAN continue making progress to end the cruel practice of captivity once and for all.  You can help as well…