Whale and Dolphin Conservation
We are proud to support WDC's fight for the survival of whales and dolphins around the world
Who are they?
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is the leading global charity dedicated to the protection and conservation of whales and dolphins.
The charity’s vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.
What do they do?
WDC protects whales, dolphins and porpoises through conservation, research, campaigns, education and rescue activities. Here are just a few ways WDC is helping to reverse the decline of whale and dolphin populations around the world:
- Putting a stop to cruelty and deliberate harm (e.g. captivity and whaling).
- Finding ways to lessen the impact of pollution on whales and dolphins.
- Campaigning to reduce the number of whales struck by boats.
- Reducing instances of whales and dolphins becoming entangled in fishing gear.
- Educating everyone, from governments to the general public, about the importance of whale and dolphin conservation.
- Creating safe spaces for whales, dolphins, and porpoises through actions like protecting habitats and addressing plastic pollution.
Success stories for WDC include:
- Creating the world’s first Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland, in partnership with Sea Life Trust, to provide a more natural habitat for ex-captive beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey.
- Successfully campaigning to create the world’s largest marine protected area in the Ross Sea, covering 1.55 million square kilometres of ocean around Antarctica.
- Securing important protection for orca and other species, including minke whales.
- Exposing and putting an end to the illegal online sales of whale meat in Japan.
How we’ve helped WDC
We’re proud to support charities like WDC, who are working hard to illuminate the plight of whales and dolphins, with a view to creating a brighter future. As of June 2024, we have donated £241,031 to Whale and Dolphin Conservation, with over £70,000 given to their innovative Climate Giants campaign.
AnimOcean project
The Climate Giants Project is a significant research programme that encompasses a range of projects, aimed at improving our understanding of the role whales play in the health if the icean and climate. Some of the ground-breaking research initiatives included within the Climate Giants Project are Life After Death, the Alaska Whale Pump project and AnimOcean.
AnimOcean – ‘Animating the Ocean’ – is a revolutionary research project that aims to use new technology to measure the global impact marine mammals have on the ocean. WDC is confident that the data feeding into AnimOcean’s computer model could have far-reaching impact in the setting of conservation goals and international policy making.
Did you know that whales could help to combat climate change?
Whales play an important but little understood role in the ocean’s ability to lock carbon away from our atmosphere. For example, a whale’s poo is an excellent fertiliser for microscopic oceanic phytoplankton, which can capture 48 billion tonnes of carbon per year So, more whales equal more carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere.
Helping to end whaling in the Faroe Islands
Another way we’ve supported WDC is with their goal to stop whale and dolphin hunts in the Faroes.
Halfway between Iceland and Norway, 200 miles north north-west of Scotland, are the Faroe Islands.
Sadly, there’s a tradition reaching back to 800 CE in the Faroe Islands that involves the killing of whales and dolphins – mostly in family groups. Faroese people consider pilot whales to be ‘food animals’ (in the same way cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens are seen in the UK). So, the hunting of pilot whales could be compared to eating ‘free range’ meat, which may be thought of as more natural and sustainable than factory farming.
To end the hunting of whales and dolphins in the Faroe Islands, WDC supports grassroots activism to grow a community of people who love and value marine mammals.
By connecting with communities in the Faroe Islands, WDC provides education about whales, inspiring people to see them as intelligent, emotional beings who are crucial to marine ecosystems.
A Walk in the Park…
Want to know more about this fascinating charity? We invited Whale and Dolphin Conservation to take a deep dive with us into the depths of the magical ocean, by interviewing Ed Goodall, Head of Intergovernmental Engagement at WDC.
Within this episode, Patricia and Ed (with the help of their canine companions, Skye and Beans) explore the vital role whales and dolphins play in supporting our environment. Grab yourself a cuppa and settle in, to discover some ‘fintastic’ facts about the ocean’s amazing water warriors!
Listen to the epic Whale and Dolphin Conservation ‘pod’cast right now!
How you can help WDC
- Shop for books, gifts, toys, clothing, and jewellery with WDC.
- Make a positive impact while gaming – get involved in Games for Waves.
- Embark on a volunteering role with WDC.
- Donate to WDC.
- Support the WDC Adoption Programme.
- Follow them on Facebook.
- Follow them on Instagram.
- Follow them on Twitter/X.