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
Fin whale

Short and cruel hunt season ends in Iceland

The shortened Icelandic fin whale hunts season has finished with a final total of 23...
Bottlenose dolphins breaching

Landmark report reveals UK wildlife’s devastating decline

With whales and dolphins already facing many threats, a landmark report released this week reveals...
Dolphins with oil rig

Go ahead for new UK oil and gas exploration threatens whales and dolphins

Permission has been granted for the development of the UK's biggest untapped oilfield off Shetland,...
Icelandic hunting vessels in port

Whaling boat kept in port after more hunt cruelty exposed

Icelandic whale hunting fleet One of the whaling boats involved in the latest hunts in...

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.