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Southern Resident whales

Ambitious plan to free captive orca Lolita announced

The new owner of the Miami Seaquarium in the US has announced that it is...

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...

Vancouver bans whales and dolphins in captivity at aquarium

Whales and dolphins will no longer be able to be held in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium after the city’s Park Board agreed on Monday to ban bringing in new cetaceans. The ban includes injured or rescued whales and dolphins. 

The aquarium is located in Vancouver’s Stanley Park which is run by the Board. It currently holds a false killer whale, pacific white-sided dolphin and a harbour porpoise which can remain there but no longer appear in performances.

There has been a long-running debate over whether the aquarium should continue to keep captive whales and dolphins which came to a head in November after the sudden death of two beluga whales, a mother and calf, caused by a toxin whose origin could not be determined. The aquarium had been hoping to extend its beluga exhibit and bring more whales before phasing it out in 2029. 

The aquarium has said it will fight the latest decision. It can still treat wildlife at its rescue centre, which is not located on Park Board land.


About George Berry

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