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

Ted Cheeseman of WCA Partner Happywhale has been featured in CBS News, speaking about the tragic loss of Fran, the most well-known humpback whale on the Happywhale database, who was killed after being struck by a ship in 2022. 💔 https://lnkd.in/eMyn8fMF Sadly, ship strikes remain one of the greatest threats to large whale species. Some measures have been designed to address the danger, like voluntary speed reduction programmes and the Whale Safe mapping tool by Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory in the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area. However, more needs to be done worldwide to protect whales from these deadly collisions. Our online course, Becoming ‘Whale Aware’, is available to commercial vessel operators to help crew members understand and minimise the risk of ship strikes: https://lnkd.in/epwsAj2C If you’re interested in finding out more about this training, please get in touch with us.

Today we’re celebrating freshwater dolphins! 🐬 Although not as well-known as their oceanic relatives, river dolphins and porpoises have charmed people around the world with their characterful faces, unusual colours, and unique adaptations to suit their freshwater homes. Sadly, these extraordinary creatures are among the most endangered cetaceans in the world. Of the six surviving species of freshwater dolphins and porpoises, global population numbers have dropped by nearly 75% since the 1980s. A seventh river dolphin (the baiji or Yangtze river dolphin) was declared extinct in 2007 – thought to be the first case of a dolphin species driven to extinction by humans. 😢 Find out more about freshwater dolphins in our blog post: https://lnkd.in/exvMEJxD At the WCA, we’re committed to bringing together Partners and Whale Heritage Areas across the world to address some of the greatest threats facing cetaceans and their habitats, from unsustainable fishing to vessel traffic. If you're part of a community or organisation trying to make a difference for a local population of cetaceans like freshwater dolphins, we invite you to learn more about our Whale Heritage Areas programme and get in touch to find out how we can help to increase your conservation impact: https://lnkd.in/eH4JXaqE

Interested in our Whale Heritage Areas programme? Don’t miss this exciting webinar from our colleagues at Wildlife Heritage Areas, where they’ll be available to answer all of your questions about the wider initiative! 🌍 📅 Date: Wednesday, November 6th. ⏰ Time: 3pm – 4pm (UTC) 💻 Register to attend here: https://lnkd.in/eF8JCSDQ This free online event is open to all potential interested applicants, as well as tourism professionals, and anyone curious to learn more about Wildlife Heritage Areas and the benefits of becoming designated. The Wildlife Heritage Areas team will share expert tips for a successful application, and the first five people to register after the event will also receive an exclusive free concierge service to guide you through every step of the process!

Happy anniversary to the Wildlife Heritage Areas programme, and to the Santa Barbara Channel and Madeira Whale Heritage Areas! 🎉 One year ago, we launched Wildlife Heritage Areas with co-founder World Animal Protection to champion a new community-led model of responsible tourism, celebrating destinations where local people work together to protect nature and wildlife. On the same day, the Santa Barbara Channel and Madeira became officially designated as Whale Heritage Areas! The Santa Barbara Channel is a hotspot for cetacean research and responsible whale watching. Since being designated, the area has achieved amazing media coverage, organised numerous educational and environmental events, and its status as a Whale Heritage Area has been cited in support of a proposal to expand the local ‘Blue Whales and Blue Skies’ conservation programme state-wide. Madeira is an important habitat and migration pitstop for 27 species of cetacean: almost a third of the planet’s known species! Becoming a Whale Heritage Area has brought together a diverse range of stakeholders in the local community, boosting collaboration between whale watching tour operators and research institutions. Find out more about Whale Heritage Areas, part of the wider Wildlife Heritage Areas programme, here: https://lnkd.in/eH4JXaqE (📷 Photos 1 and 2 by Adam Ernster; photo 3 by Lobosonda Madeira Whale Watching; photo 4 by Madeira Whale Museum)

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)