World Cetacean Alliance

Today we celebrate our anniversary as well as World Oceans Day! 🌊 We are the WCA: a global alliance of brilliant individuals, organisations, businesses, and more, all dedicated to protecting whales and dolphins. From empowering coastal communities through our Whale Heritage Areas programme, to combating major threats like bycatch and ship strikes, we collaborate with people worldwide to protect cetaceans and their ocean homes. Find out more about our diverse partnership and everything we do to create a safer world for whales and dolphins: https://lnkd.in/eSqgDgpb If you’d like to support our work, please make a donation today in honour of World Oceans Day, so that we can keep protecting these amazing animals and their marine habitats for generations to come: https://lnkd.in/ebnWAEY9

Evidence is piling up against the oil and gas industry, revealing the true risk to UK seas and wildlife. ⚠️ 🐬 Oceana UK recently published a report showing that the scale of oil pollution in the North Sea has been underestimated by more than 40%, with oil companies frequently breaching their discharge permits: https://lnkd.in/e9xZkA23 Meanwhile, the #StopRosebank campaign has been given permission to proceed with their court case after the UK government admitted that the decision to approve Rosebank was unlawful. As a member of the Ocean Alliance Against Offshore Drilling, we’re calling on the government to reject Rosebank and all new fossil fuel projects for good, so that we can give wildlife, people, and planet a safer future. What can you do? ✉️ Email Ed Miliband to demand stronger protection for the ocean against oil pollution: https://lnkd.in/eQJeB7gs 🖋  Add your name to support the #StopRosebank case here: https://lnkd.in/eqgS4Jj8

We’ll be at the Blue Earth Summit this Wednesday and Thursday, 16th and 17th of October! 🌊 If you’re attending the summit, we’d love to say hello and talk about how we can join forces to make a positive impact for ocean, people, and planet! We’re especially interested in meeting anyone connected with responsible tourism, community conservation, and the cruise and shipping industries, as well as those with a passion for marine protection. Please email Sophie Lewis at sophie.lewis@worldcetaceanalliance.org to arrange a meeting! #BlueEarthSummit #BlueEarthSummit2024

Happy Whale Heritage Area anniversary to Hervey Bay and The Bluff! 🎉 These two were the very first destinations to become designated as Whale Heritage Areas, at the Whale Heritage Summit in the Azores, October 2019. Known as the ‘Whale Watching Capital of Australia’, Hervey Bay is famous for the beautiful beaches and abundant marine life along its coastline. Migrating humpback whales use the safe waters of Hervey Bay as a unique pit stop along the ‘humpback highway’, resting and socialising here before undertaking their long journey to Antarctica. The arrival of the whales is celebrated each year at the Hervey Bay Whale Festival, including stories shared by researchers and traditional owners who are uniquely connected to these majestic creatures. Situated on the KwaZulu Natal Whale Coast in South Africa, The Bluff is ideally positioned for both land-based and boat-based responsible whale watching, with views of the Southern Hemisphere humpback whale migration from May to September. Durban recently started offering tours of The Bluff’s historical old whaling station, highlighting the region’s evolution from hunting whales to protecting them, and last month hosted the inaugural Blue Economy Week, which saw the city transformed into a hub of maritime innovation and sustainability. Find out more about our Whale Heritage Areas programme, which is part of the wider Wildlife Heritage Areas initiative, here: https://lnkd.in/eH4JXaqE (📷 Photos 1 and 2 by Fraser Coast Tourism & Events; photo 3 by WILDOCEANS; photo 4 by Sodurba)

We can’t get over this stunning bespoke packaging for our Rescue to Recycle sunglasses with Waterhaul! 😍 The design perfectly reflects the amazing ocean success story behind these unique frames. We especially love the exclusive artwork by Rachel Brooks, which illustrates the humpback whale who was freed from the very same fishing gear used to create these limited-edition frames. 🐋 Inside each box is a booklet of photos, telling the story of this young whale from the first sighting of their entanglement to the challenging rescue and beyond, when they were sighted again three months later, swimming safe and free. For every pair of frames sold, 33% of the funds raised will go directly towards future marine conservation and rescue efforts, helping to protect more whales and dolphins around the world! Order your pair here: https://lnkd.in/d-q5QXyU

Madeira Whale Heritage Area is holding its first ever whale festival this week! 🐳🎊 The first edition of the Madeira Whale Fest officially opens tomorrow, on October 4th, and will run for two days as part of Madeira’s Nature Festival. Madeira Whale Heritage Area is home to an incredible 29 out of 38 cetacean species recorded in the North Atlantic! The whale festival will bring together science, art, and culture to highlight the significant role of whales and dolphins in ocean health and promote sustainable tourism practices. The local community, whale watching companies, and the general public are all invited to celebrate the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of whales and dolphins in Madeira’s waters. (📷 Photo by WCA Partner Lobosonda)

It’s #WhaleArtWednesday! 🐋 A few months ago, we shared this world record attempt from Golfo Dulce Whale Heritage Area, where an incredible 466 people came together to create the largest image of a whale made by humans. We’re thrilled to reveal that the attempt was a success and has now been officially recognised as a new Guinness World Record! 🎉 The second photo shows Roberto from World Animal Protection (co-founders with the WCA of the Wildlife Heritage Areas programme) and WCA Partner Phoebe (from Changing Tide Tours and Golfo Dulce Whale Heritage Area) celebrating with their world record certificates. Phoebe described the record-breaking whale art event as “truly a group effort that highlights the incredible community spirit in Golfito.” Do you know of any public artwork inspired by cetaceans? Let us know in the comments! (📷 Changing Tide Tours)

Competition time: your chance to name a whale! 🐋 As part of our collaboration with Waterhaul, we’re offering a unique way for you to contribute to the Rescue to Recycle story, by giving one lucky person the chance to officially name the rescued whale. The young humpback whale was last spotted three months after being disentangled, still bearing marks from the mass of fishing gear that had been wrapped around their tail, but swimming safe and free. 💙 WCA Partner Happywhale's innovative photo-identification tool was able to identify the whale by matching photos of their tail flukes to the original sighting. Now, thanks to Happywhale, we’re giving away the opportunity to name the rescued whale – a prize worth a minimum of $500! To be in with a chance of winning, simply make a donation to support our work protecting whales and dolphins, using this dedicated link: https://lnkd.in/emwb_RpY You can also enter the competition by ordering one of the limited-edition products from our Rescue to Recycle collaboration with Waterhaul: https://lnkd.in/etRBMYf4 What would you name the whale? 🐋 (📷 Photos by David Hurwitz and Raggy Charters)

Today, on World Tourism Day, we’re looking at the connection between tourism and ocean protection! 🐋🐬 Many of the world’s whales, dolphins, and porpoises live close to shore, and so the threats they face are often in places that are important for tourism. Even those cetaceans living in remoter waters are increasingly coming into contact with cruise ships, expedition vessels, and other forms of adventure tourism. Although unsustainable tourism causes more harm than good for wildlife and the environment, the reverse is also true. Responsible whale and dolphin watching tour operators can play an important part in marine conservation, collecting valuable data for research. Where tourist activities are managed responsibly, they have the potential to improve coastal sustainability, and protect cetaceans and their habitats. This potential is at the heart of our Whale Heritage Areas programme, part of the Wildlife Heritage Areas programme, which recognises outstanding destinations for responsible wildlife tourism. Through Whale Heritage Areas, we’re able to empower communities around the world to preserve and celebrate their natural heritage. Whale Heritage Area designation brings credibility to responsible whale and dolphin watching destinations, resulting in increased collaboration, funding, and media attention. Find out more about Whale Heritage Areas here: https://lnkd.in/eH4JXaqE

🏅 Our WCA Approved operator of the month is Whale Watch Tenerife in the Tenerife-La Gomera Whale Heritage Area! 🏅 Whale Watch Tenerife was founded to offer a more sustainable and respectful alternative to the larger, more commercially-oriented whale and dolphin tour operators in Tenerife. In addition to their responsible tour practices, they’re proactive in protecting the marine environment and supporting cetacean research projects, using their vessels as a platform to collect data, support rescues of entangled wildlife, and remove any floating plastic debris. The company is also a member of ACEST, an association of responsible tour operators in Tenerife who are dedicated to protecting cetaceans and putting pressure on the authorities (regional and national) for improved management of Tenerife’s whale and dolphin watching activities. You can find out more about Whale Watch Tenerife here: https://lnkd.in/eMfpriEG To find out more about our WCA Approved programme, go to https://lnkd.in/eBgsEcyx (📷 Photo by Whale Watch Tenerife)