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
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...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
Image showing two harpoon wounds in fin whale

Whalers kill just days after Iceland’s hunt suspension is lifted

Whalers in Iceland have claimed their first victims since the lifting (just a few days...
Fin whale

Icelandic government lifts suspension on cruel hunts

The Icelandic government is to allow fin whales to be hunted again after lifting a...

Beaked whale in Norway had 30 plastic bags in stomach

A sick Cuvier’s beaked whale that was euthanized after stranding on a beach in southwestern Norway, had thirty plastic bags and other waste in his stomach. The discovery was made during an necropsy of the whale by a team from the University of Bergen.

The 20ft adult male whale beached on the island of Sotra, near Bergen on Saturday despite attempts to send it back out to sea. According to Dr Terje Lislevand, one of the team who performed the necropsy: “The whale’s stomach was full of plastic bags and packaging with labels in Danish and English.” He went on to say that whale was probably in serious pain for a long time before he stranded, the first time this species has stranded in Norway.

The bags included sweet wrappers, bread bags and a crisp packet. It is believed the whale may have mistaken them for squid which they usually prey on.

The United Nations estimates that about 8 million tons of plastic rubbish are put in the oceans every year. 

Find out how you can help stop plastic pollution in our oceans.

About George Berry

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