Skip to content
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
  • Whale watching

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...

Spate of porpoise deaths in Germany

While it was the strandings of their much larger relative, the sperm whale, that gained media attention in Germany recently, there have also been several harbour porpoises suffering a similar fate in recent months.

In February, an 18 month old male was found on the Baltic coast at Eckernförder. Porpoises in the Baltic are critically endangered and face an uncertain future. The bodies of two young porpoises were then found in March, both appear to have suffered injuries from boat propellers.

Later on in the month a female porpoise stranded at Hooksiel in Wilhelmshafen. Despite the best efforts of her rescuers she later died. More recently, concerns have been raised over a porpoise sighted in Oldenburg in the river Hunte. The porpoise is some way inland and the hope is it will find its way back to the river Weser and out to sea.

WDC is campaigning for stronger protection for harbour porpoises in Germany. Underwater noise, fisheries, pollution and ship traffic all pose significant risks to their long-term survival. 

Dead harbour porpoise in Hamburg

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.