We always love to hear about people’s unique experiences visiting Whale Heritage Areas, so we were especially delighted when a founding member of one Whale Heritage Area travelled across the world to another! Donna Kalez, co-founder of the Dana Point Whale Heritage Area steering committee, visited Plettenberg Bay while on holiday in March. Donna and her husband had already intended to make the journey from California to South Africa to visit a friend who lives in Plettenberg Bay and were excited to learn of the bay’s designation in late 2023. Donna told us: “We were planning our visit and that ..read more

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is thrilled to announce that the Whitsundays has been designated as a Whale Heritage Area! The Whitsundays is now the second Whale Heritage Area in Australia, following Hervey Bay’s designation in 2019. Whale Heritage Areas are part of the wider Wildlife Heritage Areas programme, co-founded by the WCA and World Animal Protection, which recognises outstanding wildlife-friendly tourism destinations around the world. The Whitsunday Whale Heritage Area encompasses 74 islands situated on the Great Barrier Reef, boasting Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet lookout. But ..read more

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is appalled to learn that the South African government has authorised a seismic survey off the south-east coast in January 2024, close to two designated Whale Heritage Areas, Algoa Bay and Plettenberg Bay. This news makes South Africa the latest in a series of nations deciding to expand fossil fuel extraction at the expense of the environment. Earlier this year, the UK approved a new oilfield in the North Sea and granted more than 100 new drilling licenses, including in locations that overlap with Marine Protected Areas. The WCA remains unequivocally opposed t ..read more

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is delighted to announce that Madeira has been designated as a Whale Heritage Area, sharing this prestigious title with only nine other destinations in the world! Whale Heritage Areas are part of the wider Wildlife Heritage Areas programme, co-founded by the WCA and World Animal Protection, which recognises outstanding wildlife-friendly tourism destinations around the world. Madeira lies between the Azores and Canary Islands in the North Atlantic. Research has found that the waters around Madeira provide an important habitat for many marine animals, including ..read more

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), along with WeWhale Association, Sea Shepherd France, and the Spanish animal rights political party Partido Animalista Con el Medio Ambiente (PACMA) have filed a report with the relevant authorities regarding a suspected offence against orcas, a legally protected species, in the waters near Cádiz, Spain. The incident occurred on 17 August 2023 and is related to an apparent attack on a group of Iberian orcas by the crew of the vessel NAKULA, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. The report is based on several pieces of evidence, including video recordings, photogra ..read more

The Iberian orca subpopulation has been in the public eye recently due to interactions between the killer whales and vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar. These interactions have been sensationalised in the media as ‘attacks’ or signs that the orcas are taking ‘revenge’ on humans – misleading narratives that aren’t supported by scientific evidence and could even be putting the whales at risk of harm. The WCA and other conservationists are concerned that mariners or managers might cause harm to the critically endangered orcas as punishment or retaliation, instead of making some simple adjustments ..read more

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is thrilled to announce that Golfo Dulce has been awarded Whale Heritage Site status! Golfo Dulce is now the first Whale Heritage Site in Latin America, and one of only eight fully accredited Whale Heritage Sites worldwide. The Whale Heritage Site programme is an initiative created by the WCA and supported by World Animal Protection, which recognises destinations around the world where coastal communities work together to protect, respect and celebrate cetaceans and their habitats. Located along the South Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the embayment of Golfo Dul ..read more

Recently, it was discovered that a vet who advised the Icelandic government on commercial whaling profited from the design of a harpoon used to kill fin whales, in what appears to be a clear conflict of interest. The vet – who also acted as an adviser to the only remaining whaling company in Iceland, Hvalur – spent 20 years making money from a patent on the weapons, which are supposed to reduce the time taken for whales to die. However, Icelandic whaling was suspended in June after a damning animal welfare report revealed that whales were suffering for hours after being harpooned. Some whales ..read more

A ..read more

A ..read more