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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

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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...

UK woman bitten by river dolphin in Bolivia

Pink Amazon River dolphin
Pink Amazon River dolphin

The plight of a UK woman who had her foot badly bitten by a wild dolphin is a stark reminder of why swimming with whales and dolphins is not recommended.

Claire Bye, from Bristol was left fighting for her life when a pink river dolphin nearly bit her foot off during a wild swim in a river in Bolivia.

Whilst Claire was not on an organised ‘swim with’ tourist excursion, the incident highlights the issues of swimming with whales and dolphins. It is easy for us to be excited at the idea of being in the water with whales or dolphins, but doing that means entering their realm as uninvited guests, and our presence may not always be welcome.

The reality is that it can be a really intrusive and stressful experience for the whales or dolphins, and they may have their young with them. They are wild creatures and unpredictable, even when trained and held in captivity. Swimmers have been known to incur bruises, scratches, abrasions, bites and even broken bones.

Disease transmission is a serious concern too, as dolphins carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans and vice versa.

We would always advise people to go whale watching with a responsible operator as a wonderful alternative that can benefit people, as well as the whales and dolphins.

Read more on why swimming with whales and dolphins is not a good idea - HERE

 

 

 

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