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Common dolphin

WDC takes ‘A Walk in the Park…with Animal Friends’

Longstanding WDC partner Animal Friends returns with season two of their podcast 'A Walk in...
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...

Orcas and belugas held in Russian 'whale prison'

Reports from Russia’s Pacific Coast suggest that 11 orcas and up to 90 beluga whales have been taken from the wild and placed in tiny holding pens in a bay near the city of Nakhodka.

According to local independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta it is the largest number of marine mammals to be held in this way, and prosecutors are said to be investigating whether the orcas and belugas are being kept in the tiny enclosures illegally.

The orcas and belugas may have been captured for sale to Chinese aquariums, despite the fact that permits for capture are only issued for scientific and educational reasons.


The Novaya Gazeta report also reveals that the four companies renting the small enclosures where these whales are being kept also exported 13 orcas to China between 2013 and 2016.

Recently, Russian authorities made several arrests following an illegal whale trafficking scandal involving the capture of several orcas for educational purposes that were then sold for display in countries like China where the captivity show industry in growing.

WDC is working to establish a sanctuary for beluga whales held in captivity – read more.

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