Posts by George Berry
New report reveals increase in whale and dolphin strandings in UK
A report on whale and dolphin strandings in the UK during the last seven years has revealed that the number of strandings increased by 15% on the previous period. The study was carried out by the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Between January…
Read MoreNew beaked whale species discovered in Japan
A new species of beaked whale that lives in the North Pacific has been identified in Japan, according to scientists who have published their discovery in the scientific journal Nature. The whale is thought to possibly be a new member of the Berardius family, which would mean there are now three whales in this group,…
Read MoreEcuador introduces welcome measures to prevent dolphin imports for captivity shows
The Government of Ecuador has modified environmental legislation to prohibit the import of marine mammals by aquariums, as well as breeding and the display of individuals removed from their habitats. This is particularly positive news as it follows efforts in 2018 by a dolphinarium company in Venezuela to open a captive dolphin facility in Salinas,…
Read MoreWDC’s partners make a splash by raising over £30k on World Oceans Day
This World Oceans Day, WDC were delighted to have the fantastic support of several of our most committed and generous partners from all over the world in raising funds to support our vital work to protect our ocean and the whales and dolphins who call it home. US-based publishers Mercury Learning teamed up with another…
Read MoreWDC joins celebrities’ call for G20 action over Japanese government’s return to commercial whale slaughter
Celebrities and conservation and welfare organisations (including WDC) from across the globe are calling for an ‘international whaling intervention’ to be staged at the G20 summit in Osaka as summit hosts Japan prepare to launch a renewed commercial whaling programme. The summit begins today just days before Japan will leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the…
Read MoreResearch shows great white sharks will avoid orca encounters
New research from scientists in the US has revealed that great white sharks will leave their feeding grounds to avoid contact with orcas (killer whales). While this avoidance behaviour had been observed on individual occasions, this is the first time it has been studied over a long period of time to see if it was…
Read MoreUS authorities put forward proposal for Makah gray whale hunt
Federal authorities in the United States have put forward a proposal that would allow the Makah, a Native American tribe, to resume the hunting of gray whales in Washington State. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made the announcement on Thursday. Under the proposal, the Makah would be allowed to kill one whale in…
Read MoreFossil of prehistoric four-legged whale discovered in Peru
Scientists have unearthed the fossil of a 43-million-year-old whale in Peru, which was adapted to living both on land and in water. The mammal is thought to have been around four metres (13 feet) long and had four legs, webbed feet and hooves as well as a tail. The discovery adds further light to our…
Read MoreShepherd’s beaked whale filmed underwater for the first time
A rarely seen species of beaked whale has been filmed underwater for the first time. Two Shepherd’s beaked whales were observed together on video footage obtained via a camera deployed off the coast of Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic. It was the first sighting of the species here since 2002 and…
Read MorePreparations for beluga whale move to Iceland continue
Ahead of the relocation of Little White and Little Grey to the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales this April, yesterday we gave international media the opportunity to discover how this epic 6,000 mile journey will be delivered to plan and also speak to some of the expert team involved in making this…
Read More