Emma Steel Emma is WDC's Shorewatch coordinator. She works with volunteers to learn more about the whales and dolphins that live around our coast, so we can better protect them. Understanding more about the whales, dolphins and porpoises who live around our coast is essential if we want to protect them. But to truly unravel their mysteries, we need to have eyes on them all year round. And we can’t do that alone. Even in the unpredictable Scottish winter, our Shorewatch volunteers brave the rain, frost, and snow to gather the data we need. Who knew we had so many whale and dolph ..read more

As whaling ships go out to hunt for another season in Norway, news from Iceland is more positive following an announcement from the CEO of the nation’s only whaling company that it is unlikely he will send boats out to kill whales this year. Kristján Loftsson, CEO of Hvalur hf., is quoted as saying that, ‘as it stands right now, we have no hope of whaling this summer’. The company can not hunt without a licence and, despite applying to the government in January, the ministry of food, agriculture and fisheries has yet to grant one. The situation is further complicated by the appointment of ..read more

New Zealand’s Māori king and other native leaders across the Pacific region have signed a declaration that recognises whales as legal persons. The move is an attempt to protect the rights of whales (such as freedom of movement) and could help restore their numbers and push national governments for more protection for whale populations in the future. Whales face many threats each and everyday including from those countries that still allow whale hunting. Moves to create legal personhood for whales can provide these sentient beings with rights in a similar way that we humans have. Like us, w ..read more

Miguel Iñíguez Miguel is WDC's research fellow based in Argentina. Seeing whales and dolphins in the wild can be an unforgettable experience that benefits everyone involved: the watchers, the tour operators, the local communities and, of course, the whales and dolphins. But it must be conducted responsibly. I’ve been working with whale watch operators in El Salvador to ensure that everyone reaps the rewards and the whales and dolphins can live safe and free. From fishing to whale watching El Salvador’s marine protected area, Complejo Los Cobanos, is a sanctuary for marine life ..read more

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash Puzzles WDC Shorewatch is a network of volunteers trained and supported by WDC to look out for whales and dolphins from more than 50 locations on land. Scotland is an amazing place to see whales and dolphins in their natural habitat and Shorewatchers are working hard to make sure that these marine mammals remain safe.  We are keeping a close eye on the sea all year round to help better understand these amazing creatures and find ways to protect them. The waters around Scotland are h ..read more

Jet2holidays has followed easyJet’s recent announcement and become the latest major tour operator in the UK to confirm it will stop selling tickets for marine parks that feature captive whales and dolphins. The company stated that tickets to these venues will no longer be offered to its customers from 27th March. We have run a high-profile campaign over many years successfully persuading UK holiday companies, including Virgin Holidays, Thomas Cook, British Airways and TripAdvisor, to stop selling tickets to attractions that keep captive whales and dolphins for the public’s entertainment. S ..read more

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany VIEW ALL KATRIN'S BLOGS I spent three weeks of travelling around Japan to find allies and get an up-to-date impression of Japanese whaling. The experiences and conversations I had have given me a better understanding of why whales and dolphins are still being killed today and what we need to do to end the hunts. It’s not going to be easy but, with the right approach, I believe it’s possible. Can you help to stop whaling? Yes. I'll donate It’s all about empathy Refle ..read more

Nephele, a dolphin held at Kolmården Zoo in Sweden has died after a piece artificial seaweed added to her tank became trapped in her throat. An autopsy has now revealed that Nephele was unable to breathe properly when the fake seaweed became lodged. Staff at the facility had added the seaweed to the tank for 'environmental enrichment' reasons and, presumably, to visually enhance the shows that Nephele performed in. It has since been removed. Nephele was taken from the wild in Florida when she was around nine years old in 1989. She was controversially purchased from another zoo in Germany a ..read more

easyJet holidays has announced that it will no longer offer harmful animal-based attractions to its customers. This new policy rules out zoos, theme parks and tourist attractions featuring animal performances and animal rides. This is a great step forward by easyJet and a damning indictment for the whale and dolphin captivity industry. Keeping whales and dolphins for 'entertainment' is cruel. We've been campaigning successfully for years to persuade UK travel companies like Virgin Holiday, Thomas Cook and British Airways to stop promoting these circuses to their customers. And we are conti ..read more

Julia Pix Julia Pix is WDC’s head of engagement. She delivers our public campaigns and supporter communications. VIEW ALL HAYLEY'S BLOGS As we prepared to launch our Change The Course campaign, urging Michelin to stop endorsing restaurants that serve whale meat, we had an early breakthrough. Senior Michelin staff travelled from Paris to London to meet us, and following on from our constructive meetings, they are keen to work with us. Now, we need you to show them that the public supports their willingness to improve global food chain security in the restaurant industry. When you ..read more