WDC Whale & Dolphin Summer 2020

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How volunteers help keep dolphins safe and free

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Please be assured any money donated over and above the needs of this appeal will be put to good use to help whales and dolphins. Under the Data Protection Act you have the right to advise us at any time if you do not want to receive further mailings from WDC. WDC is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 2737421. Charity registered in England and Wales No. 1014705. Registered in Scotland no. SC040231. Registered Office: Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham SN15 1LJ. Image: Rob Lott

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COMMUNITY SPIRIT Summer 2020 Issue 90

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Take part in the Great Migration

PLEASE HELP CAPTIVE ORCAS LIKE FIFE’S SISTER, CORKY

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FIFE: AN ORCA WITH A SENSE OF ADVENTURE JOIN IN!

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Contents, 1

Welcome

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WDC EDITOR Julia Pix NEWS EDITOR Danny Groves EDITORIAL BOARD Alison Wood, Rob Lott, Helen Mitchell

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PUBLISHED BY WDC Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1LJ, United Kingdom Registered Charity No. 1014705 Registered in Scotland No. SCO40231 Registered Company No. 2737421 T +44 (0)1249 449500 (from outside UK) E info@whales.org

Chris ButlerStroud, WDC chief executive

hope this issue of Whale & Dolphin finds you safe and well. The coronavirus pandemic has given us cause to reflect on what is important in our lives: family, friends, neighbours and the community delivering our essential services.

And while our lives seem to have been on hold, the planet has been quieter, and whales and dolphins

have been able to swim in slightly cleaner seas and breathe fresher air.

These fellow intelligences have learnt not to trash our shared environment, but that social co-operation is the foundation of flourishing lives. Maybe they can act as a beacon for humanity, showing us the possibilities of living in harmony with nature rather than acting against it.

WDC also has offices in Argentina, Australia, Germany and the USA

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PATRONS Julia Bradbury, John Craven, Jerome Flynn, Monty Halls, Miranda Krestovnikoff, Michaela Strachan

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PUBLISHING AND ADVERTISING Managing editor Angela McManus Sub-editor Kirsty Fortune Design Matthew Ball, Dominic Scott Advertising Alison Fraser Group account director John Innes Think Scotland, Suite 2.3, Red Tree Business Suites, 33 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow G40 4LA Tel 0141 375 0504

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Whale & Dolphin is published four times a year and distributed to WDC supporters, institutions, conservation bodies and others involved in whale and dolphin conservation. Whale & Dolphin has been printed by Newnorth, on acid-free paper that is produced from sustainable forests.

Royal Roto is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), originates in the Netherlands and is produced by SAPPI Europe, which holds ISO 14001 certification and is a member of the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

Contributions: WDC cannot guarantee the return of unsolicited articles, photographs etc. Reproduction of articles is not permitted without approval. Opinions expressed in Whale & Dolphin do not necessarily reflect those of WDC. Advertising policy: WDC reserves the right to refuse an advertisement without explanation. WDC does not necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised.

WDC is unable to recommend specific whale watching trips and cannot vouch for the quality of the trips advertised; go to whales.org/ whalewatching for more information on choosing a trip.

ISSN 1470-4595 All images © WDC unless stated.

Cover image: Charlie Phillips This page: Shutterstock

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Find out how our Shorewatch volunteers are helping protect whales and dolphins around Scotland

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Contents 04 Breaching news

20 Dynasties

Updates from the world of whales and dolphins

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Fife – a mischievous orca who is no stranger to danger

10 Sanctuary news

24 Fundraising

The families of Little White and Little Grey

Step up and join the Great Migration

13 Shorewatch Sign up for news by email at whales.org/newsletter facebook.com/ whalesorg @whalesorg @whalesorg youtube.com/ whalesorg

26 Flippin’ awesome

Trained volunteers are making a big difference to our work in Scotland

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Learn about the vastly complex social lives of whales and dolphins

16 Welfare

28 Adoption updates

How international co-operation protects whales and dolphins

The latest news about your favourite dolphins, humpbacks and orcas

18 Gallery Photographer Rob Pine’s amazing moment with a Hector’s dolphin

34 The last word We talk to WDC patron Jerome Flynn Summer 2020 WHALE&DOLPHIN 3

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BreachingNews Updates from the world of whales and dolphins

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Minke whale hunts in Iceland end Cruel slaughter of minkes finally to cease as whaling chief declares: ‘I’m never going to hunt whales again. I’m stopping for good’ inke whales may at last be safe in the seas around Iceland as the managing director of Iceland’s minke whaling operation, Gunnar Jonsson, has announced he plans to stop killing them. He told the media that whaling is no longer profitable, saying: ‘I’m never going to hunt whales again, I’m stopping for good.’

We’re thrilled, as not only will the lives of many beautiful whales be spared, but this represents a great success for our campaigning efforts.

Icelandic whalers have slaughtered

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more than 1,700 whales (fin, minke and sei whales) since the global ban on commercial whaling came into force in 1986, but finally things are changing.

Whale meat is not a traditional dish and Icelandic people rarely eat it. A 2016 survey revealed that only 1.5% of the population regularly purchases whale meat. Most of the minke whale is

served to tourists and much of the fin whale meat is exported to Japan.

In April, Kristian Loftsson, the owner of Iceland’s only fin whaling company, said that the fin whale hunts would not take place this season, claiming it’s because of tough market conditions in Japan. We’ve been campaigning for many years to stop whaling in

‘We’re thrilled, as not only will the lives of many beautiful whales be spared, but this represents a great success for our campaigning efforts’

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G O O D N EW S !

FEE INTERNATIONAL

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DOLPHINS STILL DYING IN TUNA NETS A new report reveals the huge numbers of whales and dolphins dying in tuna gillnets in the Indian Ocean. Its authors suggest that populations may have dropped by more than 80% in recent decades.

The study, led by Dr Charles Anderson of the Manta Marine organisation and published in the Journal of Endangered Species Research, paints a catastrophic picture, revealing that about

80,000 dolphins may die in tuna gillnets each year.

Fishers use gillnets to catch tuna for the commercial market.

Gillnets are responsible for more deaths of dolphins, porpoises and whales than any other type of fishing gear. Every dolphin who dies will suffer first, and the impact of such huge losses on the surviving dolphins is unimaginable.

Like us, whales and dolphins breathe air, so when they get tangled up

Around

80,000

dolphins may die in tuna gillnets each year

in a net, rope or fishing line, it is a race against time to reach the surface.

In their desperation to escape, some tear muscles, break teeth and shear off fins. The more they struggle, the more entangled they become. l Find out more at whales.org/nets

The Yogscast fundraising event raised vital money for WDC’s work

Iceland’s whalers have killed more than 1,700 minke whales since 1986

Iceland, exposing the cruelty involved in order to reduce demand and make it harder for the whalers to sell the meat.

Iceland can build a new reputation as one of the best places in the world to watch whales and as host to the first ever sanctuary for captive whales.

We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the people of Iceland, and celebrating a new relationship with whales and dolphins in the country.

Another Jam-tastic gift from The Yogscast ideo game streaming stars The Yogscast have once again proved themselves to be top dogs in fundraising by bringing in a whopping $2.7m (around £2.18m) for good causes, one of which is WDC. This amazing fundraising effort will help us continue our vital work protecting whales and dolphins.

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The money was raised through Yogscast’s Jingle Jam, an annual charity livestreaming event that takes place in December on the gaming platform Twitch.

The event involved live streaming more than 700 hours of entertaining content.

Watched by millions of fans, the Jingle Jam encourages viewers to buy

an exclusive Jingle Jam Humble Bundle, a selection of computer games contributed by more than 50 developers and publishers.

We want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to The Yogscast, Humble Bundle, all those who donated games, and The Yogscast fans who purchased the bundle and supported WDC. Summer 2020 WHALE&DOLPHIN 5

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BreachingNews VERSION

More than 20 Transient orcas were captured between 2012 and 2017 REPRO OP SUBS ART PRODUCTION CLIENT

Success: Russia to give orcas greater protection State finally adds Transient orcas to its Red Data Book to prevent these whales from being captured for the ‘entertainment’ industry oth mammal-eating Transient orcas and their fish-eating Resident orca cousins can be found in Russian waters and we’re delighted that, after years of pressure, Transient orcas will now be added to the country’s Red Data Book of endangered species. This means people will no longer be allowed to capture them for display in countries such as China.

Between 2012 and 2017, more than 20 Transient orcas were captured from the western Okhotsk Sea for sale to the captivity industry in Russia and overseas, with Russia

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Russia has become the largest supplier of live whales and dolphins to the captivity industry

becoming the main supplier of live whales and dolphins to the growing captivity industry in China.

You may remember this culminated in an international outcry in 2018–19 after images and film footage were released of 11 orcas and 90 beluga whales being held in what became known as the ‘whale jail’.

The effort to get the Transients on the Red Data Book stems in part from work that WDC funded through the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP). This project trains student researchers in photo identification, acoustic recording and other techniques so they can identify and catalogue the orcas – a vital step in getting appropriate protection for them.

It’s your generosity that enables us to support this project, so it’s down to you that these orcas will get the protection they need.

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Dolphins in sync new study shows that male bottlenose dolphins synchronise their physical and verbal actions when they work together in a very similar way to humans.

Using long-term acoustic data gathered from studying a population of dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia, researchers discovered that the male dolphins in the group matched the tempo of each other’s calls when they were working as a

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Groups of male bottlenose dolphins synchronise their movements when they are working co-operatively

team, as well as mirroring one another’s moves.

It is thought the males do this to keep rivals from females in their group while also competing

to mate with them. It could be that these synchronised actions can, as they do in humans, lead to bonding, close co-operation and even reduce stress.

Record-breaking orca swims from Iceland to Lebanon Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland, where he was last seen in June 2018. He was later spotted with his pod in December 2019 around Genoa, Italy, before moving on to Lebanon.

Orcas are known to migrate between Scotland and Iceland in small numbers, but this is the first time in recorded history that an orca has travelled this

particular route – Iceland to Italy to Lebanon. In fact, this journey of just over 8,000km (4,970 miles) is the longest known one-way distance travelled by any orca to date. l Find out more about amazing whale journeys on pages 24–25 and get involved with the WDC Great Migration. How far will you walk?

Icelandic orcas have been travelling unprecedented distances this year

FEROP, SHUTTERSTOCK, ROB LOTT

A male orca, known as Riptide, has been spotted in waters around Beirut, Lebanon, after completing what is thought to be a record-breaking journey.

Riptide belongs to an Icelandic pod of orcas that has been travelling unprecedented distances over the past year. It is believed his journey began off the coast of the

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No self-isolation for Norwegian whale hunters

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While the world began to adapt to the global issues around dealing with a pandemic, the coronavirus did not ground whalers in Norway PRODUCTION CLIENT

number of whaling boats left port at the end of March to begin another season of hunting and could kill up to 1,278 minke whales under an ‘objection’ to the global ban on commercial whaling.

There are no dedicated whaling vessels, with most hunting undertaken by fishers, the vast majority of whom resume fishing after the whaling season.

In a disturbing development, authorities

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in Norway propose to make changes to the regulations regarding who can obtain a whaling permit. Consultations on who can hunt whales normally take months, but new proposals may reduce that to just three weeks, potentially allowing more vessels to join the slaughter.

Declining demand for whale meat in Norway has forced the industry to be more creative in its attempts to spark a new interest, and substantial government

END CAPTIVITY BOOST FROM GREECE Authorities in Attica, the Greek region that encompasses the city of Athens, have taken away licences for the captive dolphin facility at Attica Zoological Park.

The move follows pressure from scientists and activists, including WDC, and members of the public.

Vets conducting inspections dismissed the zoo’s claims that its dolphin performances were

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educational rather than entertainment and requested that they be halted as the shows broke regional regulations. Attica authorities have ordered the suspension of marine mammal operations at the park. l You can find out more about how we’re working to end captivity by creating open-sea sanctuaries at whales.org/sanctuaries

Attica Zoological Park is no longer allowed to exploit dolphins

grants have been given to promote whale meat at food festivals and in schools.

We part-funded a survey last year which revealed that only 4% of Norwegians regularly eat whale meat, while twothirds either don’t eat it at all or only did so ‘a long time ago’. Meanwhile, 75% of 18–29-year-olds said they never eat whale meat or only did so ‘a long time ago’. l Find out more at whales.org/whaling

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BreachingNews

Travelling dolphin show shut down

4% of Norwegians regularly eat whale meat

66%

75%

don’t eat it at all or only did so ‘a long time ago’

of 18–29-year-olds said they never eat whale meat or only did so ‘a long time ago’

transported from venue to venue, often spending days at a time in small boxes.

Once the circus set up in a new location, the dolphins were forced to perform tricks in tiny, highly chlorinated pools and were made to ‘dance’ to loud music. l If you are on Instagram, please send a note of thanks to Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry minister @siti.nurbayabakar.

‘The dolphins having to take part in the shows were transported from venue to venue, often spending days at a time in small boxes’

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Whale meat consumption in Norway

An infamous and cruel travelling dolphin circus in Indonesia has been shut down following years of campaigning by Dolphin Project and local activists, supported by WDC. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Indonesia has announced that it will not renew permits for the company responsible for the dolphin circus, which means it will close.

For many years the dolphins having to take part in the shows were

SeaWorld stops trainers standing on dolphins aptivity giant SeaWorld is ending the practice of allowing trainers to stand up and surf on dolphins held at its theme parks. Further, it is also planning to stop trainers standing on dolphins’ rostrums (noses).

In a letter signed on behalf of Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment, the company states that it no longer demonstrates ‘surfing’ on dolphins at any of its locations,

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Dolphin ‘surfing’ is a thing of the past at SeaWorld and plans to phase out the demonstration of standing on rostrums within the next few months, despite its belief that neither of these behaviours are harmful to the dolphins in any way.

We’ve yet to see how the global lockdown on tourism will impact facilities like SeaWorld and we’re still campaigning to bring an end to cruel captivity – turn to page 23 to see how you can help with a donation.

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Newsflash!

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At the time of writing, we’re planning to move Little White and Little Grey to the sanctuary bay in June. Sign up for your monthly enews from WDC to hear all about it when it happens. whales.org/newsletter

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Ice whales’ circle of life Little White and Little Grey were captured from a wild population of belugas in Russian seas. What is life like for the family and friends they left behind? n one fateful day, the lives of two belugas changed forever. One minute they were wild, free whales, the next they were captives destined to be exploited for human entertainment.

Little White and Little Grey were taken from their home in the Russian Far East and spent 10 years as performers

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at Changfeng Ocean World in China.

When Merlin Entertainments bought this facility, they vowed to work with us to give them a better future in the world’s first sanctuary for captive whales.

But what of the life they left behind?

Hard to pronounce and even harder to get to, their home waters were the Sea of Okhotsk. Bowhead whales, orcas and two populations of belugas inhabit this vast, icy sea, which covers an area of more than 600,000 square miles. One

group of belugas, numbering around 2,600, live in the north-east of the region while Little White and Little Grey belonged to the western population of around 9,500 individuals.

ICE BREAKERS Much of this sea is frozen for large parts of the year and this governs the whales’ movements. They spend their summers gathering in huge numbers in estuaries, gulfs and bays. The early summer

Sanctuary news, 1

SANCTUARY NEWS

DOUG ALLEN

Belugas can make a wide range of facial expressions

Belugas gather in huge numbers in estuaries and gulfs in the summer to feed on smelt and to give birth

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brilliant beluga facts:

Belugas can alter the shape of their mouth and forehead, enabling them to make an array of facial expressions.

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North Pacific Ocean

RUSSIA

Sea of Okhotsk

Instead of having a dorsal fin, beluga whales have a tough dorsal ridge that they can use to break apart the ice so they can breathe. The lack of a dorsal fin may be an adaptation to ice or a means to reduce heat loss.

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Sakhalin-Amur Region provides them with a rich supply of smelt (similar to trout) to feast on, while later in the season they target the returning salmon. And it is here, in these shallow areas, that female belugas give birth to a single, dark-grey calf.

Belugas are adapted to life in colder waters with an insulating layer of blubber and a relatively small head, tail and fins.

As autumn arrives and the temperature drops, the whales move out into deeper water, preferring to spend the colder months in dense ice cover or close to the ice edge. How belugas find breathing holes in thick ice is still a mystery, although one theory suggests they may use sound to find cracks in the ice ceiling.

These migrations continue for the whole of their lives, which can extend to 60 years or more, and it’s desperately sad that Little White and Little Grey no longer enjoy these seasonal rhythms and the company of their fellow ice whales. But thanks to incredible human effort, they will soon enjoy life in the ocean once again and experience a sense of freedom they have been denied for so long.

They have been seen sucking up water into their mouths, then squirting it out to uncover prey hidden in the silt on the seabed.

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Unlike other whales and dolphins, belugas can move their heads up and down and from side to side.

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CHINA

Sea of Japan N. KOREA S. KOREA

JAPAN

Belugas spend part of their year in very shallow, coastal waters, but when in deeper water they can dive to depths of 800 metres or more and can stay underwater for up to 25 minutes.

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At least 29 orcas and more than 100 belugas have been taken from the Sea of Okhotsk to supply the captivity industry, specifically to meet demand in China

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Fundraising Ads, 1

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D es i g n e d i n S we de n — Ma de fo r E ve r y wh e re

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The RISSO sunglasses

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The best sunglasses in the world and all other worlds we don’t know of yet. Made out of recycled plastic and 100% of the profits will be donated to WDC and their fight for a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. ch pobrand . com / @ ch pobrand

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How would you like to win £1,000 in our summer raffle?

Helen and David, from Scotland, were the lucky winners of our Christmas raffle, saying: ‘After over 30 years supporting WDC, it was a wonderful surprise to win this raffle. In that time WDC has achieved so much for whale and dolphin conservation. With future support who knows what the next 30 years will bring.’

It’s easy and secure to play from just £1!

Go to www.raffleplayer.com/wdc or call our raffle hotline on 01628 511702

1st prize

£1,000

2x 2nd prize

£250

3x 3rd prize

£100

4x 4th prize

£50

Closing date Monday 20 July 2020. Terms and conditions apply

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JULIA PIX is the editor of Whale & Dolphin REPRO OP SUBS

Citizen science:

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a community effort Scotland is an amazing place to see whales and dolphins safe and free, and our Shorewatch volunteers help us make sure it stays that way

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An eager crowd gathers to glimpse dolphins at Chanonry Point in Scotland

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WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS, STEVE TRULUCK

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The whale migration route from Guadeloupe in the Caribbean through the Shetlands to the waters

he importance of community has been a resounding theme of recent months. When people come together with shared values and goals, we make the world a better place. Shorewatch is a network of people who are trained and supported by WDC to look out for whales and dolphins around Scotland’s shores and record what they see.

We know that 28 whale and dolphin species live in the waters around Scotland or journey through on their migrations, but there is a lot we don’t know about where they breed, feed and travel. To protect whales and dolphins, we first need to understand which areas are important to them and how they use these waters.

Our Shorewatchers scan the sea in regular 10-minute surveys and record data that we use to influence policymakers and advise developers. The information collected by the Shorewatch community helped us persuade the Scottish government to create much-needed protected areas for

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off Skjervøy in northern Norway.

A dolphin breaches in the waters off Scotland’s coast to the delight of a group of onlookers

minke whales and Risso’s dolphins. When we combined it with data from our own field research and from our colleagues at the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, we were able to paint a compelling picture of which areas of Scottish seas are important to whales and dolphins – a great example of how community initiatives such as Shorewatch really can impact conservation.

If you live in Scotland and would like to get involved, get in touch with us at shorewatch@whales.org – we’d love to hear from you.

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It’s no fluke

Case Study

Steve Truluck explains how he and his friend Lyndsay Mcneill used humpback tail photos to track one whale’s migration flukes and I was pointing my teve Truluck is a camera in all directions, trying whale-watching to get photos for identification. guide and skipper ‘The humpbacks were for Hebridean in Arctic Norway to feed on Whale Cruises. He began his the over-wintering herring journey into the world of and I was there to whales and dolphins watch them. Even as a Shorewatch when I’m on volunteer. At the holiday, I’m end of last year, keen to get he and a friend identification tracked a photos of humpback humpbacks and whale’s orcas to help migration from Steve Truluck researchers and the warm waters organisations such as of the Caribbean to WDC to better understand ice-cold Norwegian seas via their travelling patterns.

Scotland. Here is his account of how it happened.

‘The blows from a group of WHALE SNAP around 30 humpback whales ‘I returned home with 39 glowed golden as they hung in humpback fluke ID photos the still, cold Arctic air. As we and passed them to a friend approached, that magical of mine, Lyndsay Mcneill. sound that only large whales She has the incredible ability can make as they exhale and to scan hundreds of pictures then inhale resonated all of humpback tails and around us. Then they started recognise individuals. Within to dive. Up came the tail minutes of receiving my

WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS, STEVE TRULUCK

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photos she was able to match one of the whales I had photographed with a picture taken in Scotland.

Like a game of whale snap – and pretty amazing.

‘The next day, another match and this one was particularly exciting. Lyndsay recognised one of the whales I’d seen in Norway as an individual who had been photographed in Scotland and the Caribbean. Her sharp eyes and photographic memory completed the migratory cycle from the Caribbean breeding grounds in Guadeloupe, up through Shetland and north to the feeding grounds of Arctic Norway.

‘So how does Lyndsay do it? She’s up at all hours

tenaciously looking through social media posts and comparing photos. Many of these photos have been available online for many years without being matched, even by the researchers who took the photos.’

CITIZEN SCIENTISTS Social media and low-cost, high-quality cameras are making it easier for us all to complement the work done by researchers. Lyndsay is a hairdresser from Edinburgh and Steve is a window cleaner and tour guide living on Scotland’s west coast.

Their collaboration shows how citizen science can give us insights we might not otherwise have.

‘The blows from a group of around 30 humpback whales glowed golden as they hung in the still, cold Arctic air’

Steve captured the moment a group of humpback whales surfaced to breathe in Arctic Norway

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Tail fluke iden tification is ke y to figuring ou t humpback migration pa tterns

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NICOLA HODGINS is a WDC policy manager

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Conservation across borders

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It takes international co-operation and co-ordination to protect whales and dolphins worldwide

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if the individual taken away is a matriarch or he coronavirus pandemic has a mother who leaves behind a dependent shown us how interconnected calf? Removing even a few individuals can the world is. Our borders are have a significant impact. There was imaginary barriers that only resounding support at the convention for matter to humans. It’s all such captures to be a thing of the past. very well for individual nations to put The plight of the critically endangered conservation plans in place, but what about Atlantic humpback dolphins was a major species, such as whales and dolphins, that concern on the table, as they are hurtling don’t stay in one country? How do we towards extinction as a result of protect them? entanglement in fishing gear and Every three years, 130 hunting. Only small, isolated countries come together Nicola Hodgins speaks for populations remain. I under the auspices of the whales and dolphins at CMS 2020 presented to meeting Convention on Migratory delegates, pleading the Species (CMS) to agree case for more work to be conservation action undertaken to halt their plans for species that rapid decline. We cross borders – whether elevated the crisis from that’s by sea, land or air. a medium to high priority, This year is one of so funding will be sought to those years and before instigate the conservation international travel was measures we agreed. shut down, thanks to your We were also delighted to have support, I was able to represent wide support for our proposal to protect the whales and dolphins at the CMS meeting in critically endangered Baltic and endangered India with a long list of things I wanted to Iberian populations of harbour porpoises achieve. I’m delighted to tell you that I and we’ve already started the work we’ve managed to accomplish almost all of them. identified as crucial to their survival.

Here are the highlights.

Representing whales and dolphins at The capture of dolphins and small whales these meetings is a vital part of our work for captivity is a conservation concern. and it’s your support that enables us to be Whale and dolphin populations are made up there. Thank you. of highly socially complex individuals so what

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Atlantic humpback dolphin

Fact File

What do they look like?

They have a distinctive hump on their backs, on top of which sits a small triangular fin. Aside from the hump, they look very similar to bottlenose dolphins – slate grey with a slender beak.

Where do they live?

In small, isolated populations along the west coast of Africa.

What do they eat?

Atlantic humpback dolphins don’t seem to be fussy and will eat any fish.

Conservation Across Borders, 1 SHUTTERSTOCK, CAROLINE WEIR

Humpback whales have long migration routes that cross many borders

Representing whales at the highest levels

What does the future hold?

If we have any chance of saving them from extinction, we need your support and international co-operation through conventions such as CMS.

Governments come together to manage conservation and find ways to protect the species with whom we share planet Earth.

We represent you and the whales and dolphins on these important platforms.

As well as CMS and some other smaller conventions, our experts sit on special committees and act as advisors to governments at the IWC and CITES.

THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION (IWC) regulates whaling.

It’s through this commission that whaling was banned in 1986.

Nowadays, expert groups within the IWC also make decisions about other issues, such as whales and dolphins getting entangled in fishing gear.

THE CONVENTION ON TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA (CITES) makes decisions on wildlife trade. It’s through CITES that bans on importing or exporting products such as narwhal and elephant tusks, whale bone and teeth, and whale meat have been achieved.

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Gallery, 1

GALLERY

Eye to eye contact Wildlife photographer Rob Pine shares a memorable encounter with an endangered Hector’s dolphin in New Zealand

Rob Pine

If you’ve been lucky enough to witness a dolphin breaking the water’s surface, you’ll know it’s special. In that moment, this being who spends most of their time under the water, bursts into our world. Rob explains how he came to take this amazing shot.

‘Hector’s dolphins are adorable clowns of the ocean.

It’s not only their distinct, almost theatrical markings, but also their playful antics – sometimes you get the feeling they are simply showing off! On this day, all the elements were in my favour: a flat sea, lovely light and great water visibility.

‘I could see a silver shape torpedoing towards me and, on cue, she broke the surface, turned on her side and for a split second we made eye contact. As I hit the shutter, I knew I had captured a magical moment. And as I watched her disappear into the depths, I realised we had just shared a ‘wink’ of connection.’

We’re grateful to Rob for allowing us to use his wonderful images to support our efforts to save New Zealand dolphins from extinction.

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DYNASTIES VERSION

Fife belongs to the Northern Residents community of orcas in Canada REPRO OP SUBS

Fearless Fife

ART

This orca with a sense of adventure is a bundle of energy, and his reckless nature has landed him in trouble on more than one occasion – even to the point where we feared for his life

PRODUCTION CLIENT

have ‘known’ Fife since he was a baby and it’s been a privilege to watch him grow up. Now 28, he is a socially mature male orca. His identification number is A60 and he’s a member of the A23 matriline of the A5 pod.

His older sister, Corky, was captured for the ‘entertainment’ industry on 11 December 1969. She is now held by SeaWorld in San Diego and has spent more time in captivity

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than any other orca. Corky has never met her little brother, Fife.

The notch in the middle of his dorsal fin makes Fife easily recognisable from a distance and he is a favourite among whale watchers. But there is much more to Fife’s story.

Fife was first spotted by researcher Alexandra Morton in Retreat Passage, not far from OrcaLab, on 23 April 1992. A tiny baby with the distinctive orange eye patch of a newborn orca, Fife was swimming close beside his mum, Stripe (A23).

Dynasties - Fife's Story, 1 JARED TOWERS

PAUL SPONG is the co-founder of OrcaLab

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DYNASTIES VERSION

Identifying individual Northern Resident orcas using photos of their dorsal fins began in 1973 with the work of Dr Michael Bigg

A23 Male

Female

Unknown

Alive

Deceased

REPRO OP

STRIPE (1947–2000) Captured 11 Dec 1969 Released

A16

A21

A27

A29

A43

A60

ART PRODUCTION

JARED TOWERS, SHUTTERSTOCK, ROB LOTT. ILLUSTRATION: GARY KWOK

SUBS

CORKY (1964–)

Captive since 11 Dec 1969 • First to be pregnant and give birth in captivity • Her first calf survived for 16 days • The longest any of her calves has survived is 46 days

OKISOLLIO (1972–2001)

(1967–1973) Captured 11 Dec 1969 Released

(1977–1980)

FIFE (1992–)

RIPPLE (1981–) A63

A69

MIDSUMMER (1997–)

A95

A109

ELIOT (2014–)

FERN (2009–)

A23 matriline Northern Residents (inshore fish-eaters)

CLIENT

‘One of the traits that characterises Fife is his adventurous, one might almost say fearless, nature’ With them were Stripe’s adult son, Okisollio (A27), and teenage daughter, Ripple (A43).

It was now more than 20 years past the capture that had devastated the A5 pod in December 1969 and Stripe’s family was growing once again.

FIVE FIFE FACTS

1

BLADE RUNNERS One of the traits that characterises Fife is his adventurous, one might say fearless, nature. This was first demonstrated to us in the summer of 1993, when he was not much more than a year old.

We were out in our boat looking for Scimitar’s A12 family because we suspected that her daughter, Simoom (A34), may have had a baby. Heading slowly up Blackfish Sound, we suddenly became aware of the presence of two little orcas right behind our boat – Fife and Ivy, Holly’s first baby. The little rascals were playing in the wash of the propeller on our outboard engine, their heads literally within inches of the blades.

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2

The adoption orcas, including Fife, belong to a population with a tradition of rubbing their bellies on the pebbles of certain beaches in shallow water. These cold stone massages seem to play an important role in the social lives of tightly knit family groups.

Fife’s eldest sister, Corky, is captive at SeaWorld, San Diego. She has

been in captivity longer than any other orca.

Fife’s huge dorsal fin has a number of distinctive nicks and cuts

3

Fife has a second sister alive today.

Her name is Ripple and her daughter, Midsummer, is Fife’s niece.

4

Fife belongs to the Northern Resident community of orcas in Canada, which has around 300 orcas altogether.

5

Fife and his orca community eat fish only.

Fife loves to chow down on Chinook salmon

‘My dream for Fife, which I am sure you share, is that he will finally meet Corky’ surfacing to swim right beside our boat before going down again. Although fascinated by the game, we were terrified we might injure them. The mothers, Holly and Stripe, swam along with us about 20 metres away, one on each side, for quite a while until suddenly they each gave the water loud slaps with their pectoral fins – clear signals that they wanted their kids back.

Fife responded immediately, but Ivy took a while. When she finally swam off with her mother, she protested the parental control by repeatedly hitting the water with her little flipper. It was quite a show, but scary!

MIRACULOUS RECOVERY

Quite possibly it was the fearless side to Fife’s nature that got him into his most serious and life-threatening trouble. He showed up one day in the summer of 2003 with huge, deep gashes in his right flank. It was certain the injury had come from a large propeller, although the vessel responsible was never identified.

When we saw him that first day he was in a group and all we saw was a flash of red.

When we examined the photos we had taken, the gashes looked deep, possibly down to the bone. Day by day we held our breath, but infection did not set in and Fife survived.

When he returned the next year his wound looked well on the way to healing. Now, though still there, the wound is hard to see.

ROMANTIC INTENT

And then there is Fife’s amorous side.

This was clearly demonstrated a couple of years ago when he was repeatedly seen in the company of visiting G clan females. It was never known whether he succeeded in mating with any of them, but his intent was clear. Quite possibly Fife has already contributed to the future of his community.

Today, Fife is as energetic as ever. Last year he seemed to be keeping a little more distance from his family than previously.

We cannot be sure why. My dream for Fife, which I am sure you share, is that he will finally meet Corky, now in her 51st year of captivity. Although they have never met, they are bound by their genes, history and the countless generations that have preceded them. It will be a profound and touching moment – I can’t wait.

Will you help orcas like Fife’s sister, Corky? e hope you enjoyed reading the amazing story of Fife.

Although Fife lives wild and free, his older sister, Corky, has been held captive for more than 50 years. The siblings have never met.

There are currently around 3,500 whales and dolphins held captive.

It has to end. We work tirelessly to end captivity and campaign hard for a better quality of life for these incredible, sentient creatures.

We need to raise money to continue our work. Will you help with a donation today?

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We promise to: •

•

•

Work together with like-minded organisations to find solutions for captive whales and dolphins like Corky.

Share our expertise in establishing sanctuaries to enable more captive whales and dolphins to be moved to natural settings, or back to the wild.

Investigate conditions in captive facilities and make a case to persuade governments that they should phase out this practice.

DONATE TODAY ONLINE whales.org/endcaptivity CALL 01249 449500 Or use the form on the address flap on the cover of your magazine

Now more than ever, every pound will count.

Thank you.

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Dynasties - Fife's Story, 2

APPEAL

SUPPORT WDC VERSION REPRO OP

Join our Great Migration Now many of us can get outside a bit more, let’s enjoy a walk and help protect whales and dolphins at the same time

SUBS

The whole household can get involved with the WDC Great Migration fundraiser

ART PRODUCTION CLIENT

hales migrate thousands of miles every year, demonstrating extraordinary endurance and determination – traits we humans have shown in bucketloads in recent months. Gray whales are the record-holders, with the longest known migration standing at 14,000 miles.

As individuals, we couldn’t aspire to cover such mind-blowing distances alone, but together we will walk hundreds, if not thousands, of miles as part of the WDC Great Migration, using every step we take to raise vital funds to ensure whales can migrate safely around the globe. So, if you’ve enjoyed

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your daily walk in the fresh air, sign up for the WDC Great Migration and set yourself a bigger challenge.

It’s not only whales who will benefit – walking is good for our own physical health and our mental wellbeing.

We’ll help you every step of the way with your fundraising. We’ve even put together a suggested playlist of walkingthemed songs to keep you motivated as you walk.

It doesn’t matter when, where or how far you walk – dust off your walking boots and ask us for a fundraising pack.

You could even get together virtually with friends, family, colleagues or a

club or school and take on a whale-sized challenge like walking the equivalent of the Cotswold Way (102 miles), John O’Groats to Land’s End (874 miles) or Route 66 (2,400 miles) over a month.

Whilst you can’t walk together as a group, it’s easy to link your JustGiving page to the Strava app to keep track of how far everyone is walking.

Let’s come together virtually for the greatest migration ever!

To get started, request your fundraising pack, get more ideas on distances or find a trail near you, visit whales.org/ thegreatmigration or contact events@ whales.org for help.

PRIZES TO BE WON

CHRISTMAS GIFT

The top fundrasiser will win this fantastic rucksack by Jack Wolfskin, plus everyone who enters will be entered into a draw to win one too.

More surprise prizes to be announced.

Sarah Worrall, from South Woodham Ferrers, raised £230 running a stall at her local Christmas Fayre. Sarah was helped by her mum and sister, who kindly donated some lovely marinethemed paintings for Sarah to sell.

GOING BACK IN TIME Pamela Styles went ‘back to the 1980s’ and raised a brilliant £275 in her sponsored time travel. For a week, Pamela gave up anything that was invented or became common in households after the 1980s, so no mobile phone or internet and just three TV channels! She explains: ‘WDC and I were both born in the 1980s, which was also the decade when the whaling ban was put in place. Giving up technology for a whole week when self-isolating was a huge challenge, but worth the sacrifice to help save these remarkable creatures.’

OVER

Migration facts

£740 RAISED

On average, every year, gray whales travel

9,000 to 12,500 The longest recorded migration for a blue whale is from Corcovado Gulf, Chile, to the Galápagos Islands, a distance of

3,106

miles

miles

A lone female humpback whale travelled from breeding areas in Brazil to those in Madagascar, more than

6,090

miles

PAW POWER Over one month during the long, hot summer of 2018, Dylan the labrador and his human, Ryan Wood, completed 100mile walkies raising £740.34 for whales and dolphins. Will you and your pooch team up for the WDC Great Migration?

Our four-legged friends never say no to walkies of any distance, so get that lead on and start walking for whales.

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Fundraising, 1

SHUTTERSTOCK

Fundraisers Gallery

VERSION

Whales and dolphins need good social skills to flourish REPRO OP SUBS ART PRODUCTION CLIENT GENTLEMAN SCHOLAR, SHUTTERSTOCK

Awesome

The brainiacs of the underwater world are deep thinkers with intricate emotional lives 26 WHALE&DOLPHIN Summer 2020

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hales and dolphins have big brains, and largebrained beings have a few things in common. We live long lives, we’re sociable and our behaviour is complex. Females give birth to just a few children and take extraordinary care of each baby, teaching them life skills and helping them to become independent.

Whales and dolphins behave in ways that demonstrate intelligence and a sophisticated mind. As well as learning as individuals, they pass their knowledge on to others.

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How intelligent are

whales and dolphins?

Wow!

15

10

5

million years ago

million years ago

million years ago

Like us, whales and dolphins have special cells in their brains called spindle neurons. These are associated with advanced abilities such as recognising, remembering, communicating, perceiving, adapting to change, problem-solving and understanding. So it seems that whales and dolphins are deep thinkers.

Not only that, but the part of the whale and dolphin brain that processes emotions may be even more complex than our own – their social lives are intricate, requiring lots of skill to successfully manage relationships.

That really is flippin’ awesome.

Today

SHUTTERSTOCK

Whale and dolphin brains were the same size 15 million years ago as they are now. Ours only reached a similar size around one million years ago, so potentially whales and dolphins have been the most intelligent species on the planet for 14 million years more than humans.

Neuroscientist Lori Marino put it well when she said that ‘a dolphin alone is not really a dolphin; being a dolphin means being embedded in a complex social network – even more so than with humans’.

For species such as orcas and bottlenose dolphins, family and community are everything. The emotional connections that tie them to one another are of a complexity we can’t even imagine.

If people understood what intelligent and emotional beings whales and dolphins are, surely we’d stop killing them or confining them to tanks for our own amusement.

This is a complicated question because it’s hard to compare a whale or a dolphin’s intelligence with our own, mainly as we can’t use the same methods to measure both.

We can’t ask a dolphin to sit an IQ test or maths exam, or challenge a whale to build an engine or design a building. For a start, they don’t have hands and they communicate very differently from us.

In fact, dolphins seem to have an almost unfathomable ‘alien’ intelligence, which is so unlike our own that perhaps a better question to ask is ‘how are whales and dolphins intelligent?’

Learning about their brains helps us to start answering that question, but we will never fully comprehend what it is to be a whale or a dolphin.

And that’s flippin’ awesome.

You’ll find more information and a great video of neuro-expert Lori Marino talking about why dolphins are so smart at whales.org/brains

Brain facts Sperm whales have the biggest brains on the planet Orcas have the second-largest brains on the planet Dolphins have a brain to body ratio second only to humans Dolphins and all toothed whales have a section of their brains for echolocation – this means they can ‘see’ using sonar Summer 2020 WHALE&DOLPHIN 27

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FACT FILE

VERSION

Dolphin diaries

REPRO OP

By WDC’s adopt a dolphin field officer, Charlie Phillips

In a whole new light

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SUBS

he big news is that many of the resident dolphins that went on unexpected holidays last year have returned to their home territories.

Earlier this year, before the lockdown, there were also regular reports of groups of bottlenose dolphins moving up and down the east coast. Some sightings were as far south as the Flamborough area of South

Yorkshire. There are dolphins I recognise in the photos that accompany these reports, although some of them haven’t been recorded up in the Moray Firth for a few years now.

Once the lockdown is lifted, it will be fascinating to see how this year pans out. I’m hearing reports that they are returning to Chanonry already and it’s beyond frustrating that I can’t get out there to see them!

Rainbow Reunited with friends ART

Rainbow and her son Indigo seemed to be part of a welcoming committee of dolphins that met and accompanied young Spirtle and her group when they arrived home after their journey round the coast of Ireland last year.

It was lovely to see so many dolphins moving in and out of the Chanonry Narrows

PRODUCTION

and Inverness Firth area in what is normally a very quiet time of the season – it made the place look really busy.

Since then, I have spotted Rainbow a few times out and about looking for snacks with old friends such as Bonnie, who she sometimes babysits for, and Porridge, who was one of the dolphins who went with Spirtle to visit Ireland.

Charlie Getting into scrapes

CLIENT

Charlie, Kesslet’s son, has been cruising around the area every so often and I’ve spotted him with some of his pals, including Indigo, Rainbow’s son, and big Trail Scoop (aka Scoopy) passing Chanonry Point. They like to follow a bigger group of females and younger dolphins.

Charlie will celebrate his

13th birthday this year and he is looking a lot bigger and darker now than he was only a few years ago. He isn’t quite as huge as Scoopy or big Beatrice (a male despite the name), although he is having regular tussles with other dolphins and picking up scratches and bite marks – boys, eh?

Kesslet Local favourite

AlLL WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS

I still haven’t found Kesslet among the dorsal fin photos I managed to take before the lockdown. Her son, Charlie, is in the area, but he and Kesslet haven’t been reunited so far.

We are still missing quite a few dolphins from this part of the Firth and I’m hoping that as the salmon migration 28 WHALE&DOLPHIN Summer 2020

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season begins, Kesslet will be back in the Beauly Firth. It is a big estuary with two salmon rivers that empty into it and is connected to the open sea. The local people in the village where I work are asking about Kesslet too. They have been watching her swim in these waters for a quarter of a century.

Spirit Hanging with the herring Before the lockdown, it was a bit early in the season for me to come across Spirit around Chanonry Point, although she has surprised me before in the past. Perhaps she’s back now or maybe out at sea, possibly with a group spotted recently off the coast of Helmsdale, about 40 miles north of Chanonry Point.

A WDC supporter spotted the 12 or so dolphins in a region where winter herring gather to spawn, so it’s possible the dolphins were on a mission to catch some rich, tasty herring – ideal lipid-rich food to keep out the chilly water temperatures up here and a great stopgap until the seasonal salmon start running again.

Moonlight No sightings yet

Mischief Instantly recognisable

Although early in the year I tracked some groups of dolphins moving in and out of the Inner Firth area, I didn’t spot Moonlight among them.

There is a possibility that she might still be out along the coast, possibly in the same big group of dolphins Mischief is with.

Great news: Mischief was spotted early this year by an expert observer friend of mine.

He was watching a big group of dolphins charging along the coast near a small village called Covesea when he saw a big, dark dolphin with a very distinctive, large wedge-shaped gap in the lower dorsal fin

I’ll need to have patience, though, and see how things pan out. I’m desperate to be able to get out to sea again and have a good look for Moonlight and a few other well-known local dolphins such as Kesslet and Zephyr, who I haven’t seen since last year – watch this space.

among the 15 or so in the group.

It was Mischief! That’s the great thing about highly recognisable dolphins such as Mischief, young Spirtle, Runny Paint and Beatrice to name a few.

They are just so recognisable.

Hopefully it won’t be too long until I see him in the Chanonry Narrows hunting salmon again.

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ADOPTIONS

VERSION

Humpback headlines

REPRO OP

By executive director of WDC North America, Regina Asmutis-Silvia

Big personalities

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e haven’t been able to get out on whale watching boats yet, so to keep you up to date with your favourite humpbacks, here are some migrating facts.

Since March, the humpbacks have been starting their 1,500-mile (2,414km) migration from breeding grounds in the

Caribbean to feeding grounds here in New England. As soon as the calves are strong enough, their mothers guide them along their migration journey to the feeding grounds and do their best to protect them on the way. I’ve ‘known’ these whales for so long and I want to tell you what I love most about each one.

SUBS

Reflection True to herself

PRODUCTION CLIENT

Salt Seriously supermum She’s a strong leader and always puts her calves first. When we see her feeding with a group of whales, she is often the first to dive, which sets the pace for the rest of the group. We can see by how large Salt is that she is very good at 30 WHALE&DOLPHIN Summer 2020

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catching food and it seems that other whales are trying to learn from her.

When she has a calf with her, she prioritises taking care of her little one over socialising with other humpbacks.

We see her off to the side, keeping a

safe distance away from the craziness of adults feeding together, and patiently showing her baby how to catch food.

Salt’s attentiveness certainly pays off: we have watched many of her calves grow into successful, independent adults.

WDC-NORTH AMERICA

ART

She isn’t afraid to be herself. Whether she is kickfeeding when everyone else is using bubble nets to catch prey, or having fun flipper slapping alongside her calf, Reflection stays true to herself.

Reflection is known for arriving on the feeding grounds fairly early, even if the ‘cool’ thing to do is to wait until later when the other whales arrive.

We hope this year she will bring a new calf with her, as her last was born three years ago. Reflection reminds us that each of us is unique and special in our own way.

Pepper Sticks to the plan She seems to be a particularly decisive whale: once she makes a decision, she sticks to it.

We see this each year when she returns to the feeding grounds – she chooses a location to feed in and then doesn’t seem to change her mind and bounce around to different feeding areas during the season.

In the years when Pepper decides she will eat in the waters where we can see her from the whale watching boats, we see her pretty often. In other years, she commits to feeding in another area and we have to rely on others to let us know she is safe. We love that Pepper sticks to her commitments.

WDC-NORTH AMERICA

Midnight Focused on food She is an especially focused and hard-working whale. Midnight is never one to show off and demonstrates commitment to finding and catching food.

She doesn’t get distracted by other groups of whales who are feeding nearby, and is rarely seen breaching or expending energy on anything but feeding.

We don’t see Midnight every year and suspect she chooses to seek out quieter feeding areas to get away from the hustle and bustle, and limit any nearby distractions.

We all wish we could be more like Midnight.

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ADOPTIONS

VERSION

Orca odysseys

REPRO OP

By OrcaLab founders, Helena Symonds & Paul Spong

Pods for thought

L

ooking for light in these dark days, orcas inspire hope.

The Resident families are so tightly bonded that members spend their whole lives together. Families with lineages so far apart they use completely different dialects get along perfectly well

with one another. Without doubt, the orcas whose lives we admire and love have survived calamity after calamity, and today, more than 10,000 years into their journey in our coastal waters, they show us how to live with one another in peace and prosperity. We are so grateful.

SUBS

Bend Summer sensation

ART

Bend is the least likely adoption orca to show up in our area during winter. She chooses more northern waters, including south-east Alaska. It is a matter of preference, habit and tradition, just as it is as with Holly who spends winters in southern waters. These customs may help manage limited prey resources. As spring approaches, they (and the salmon) move southward. It is not unusual for them to be among the first groups reported.

Further south, we still have to be patient. By the summer solstice, we know it won’t be too long before we see them again, and Bend’s group is usually the first to establish themselves in our area. The summer unfolds from there.

This year we are holding our breath to see if Bend’s mother, Clio, will have another baby, as we heard her body condition had changed last summer. Some day we hope Bend will likewise surprise us. Each season never fails to excite.

PRODUCTION CLIENT HELENA SYMONDS/ORCALAB, JARED TOWERS

Read Fife’s story on p20-23

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Fife A5s together again Fife and family were part of the rash of January sightings. From 1 – 7 January, they were in the upper Georgia Strait with the A25s, briefly joining Holly’s family. It was not clear if Cordero’s new baby was still there, as the whales were quite spread out.

Fife and Surge were fairly close to each other. It was lovely to imagine all of the A5s together once again.

Later in the month, G clan families turned up in Johnstone Strait on the same day Holly came back from the south. Later still, Simoom’s family showed up. Fife’s family was elusive and slipped out before these later events.

Spring in this area is usually a quiet time for Northern Residents, but we are reminded that as a rare event, Fife was first seen as a baby on 23 April 1992. He will soon be 28 years old. How time flies.

Simoom Surprise visit It is rare to have an update for Simoom during the winter months, as we usually don’t hear about her until the spring. This year, to our delight, she visited our area on 26 and 28 January. It was Simoom’s first visit since 1997, when her family comprised her mother Scimitar

and older brothers Pulteney and Nimpkish, and her children Echo, Misty and Eclipse. Pulteney, at 39 years old, appeared very ill. His huge dorsal fin had collapsed.

We didn’t know the condition of Simoom’s family this January as we only heard them, but we sensed they

were excited as they headed into Robson Bight.

We couldn’t know if they went for a rub later because the rubbing beach hydrophone had been taken out for the season and it was too dark for the camera.

It was a very welcome visit.

Holly Extended stay On 13 March we heard A5 calls in Johnstone Strait. We had been waiting for some indication that Holly and her family were ready to return from their southerly winter haunts in the Georgia Strait, as we knew Holly was there from various reports.

Her family travelled a lot last winter and came back to Johnstone Strait twice before March.

On 18 January, her visit coincided with that of several G clan families – the events seemed mysteriously well timed. We thought then that Holly was probably gone until next season. Not so: on a gorgeous, clear, calm 3 February she and her family were sighted by OrcaLab volunteers out for a dive.

A month later we heard distant calls in Johnstone Strait. Finally, on 13 March, we heard her family again. This time it seemed like a more deliberate attempt to leave the area.

Interestingly, two years ago, she left the area on 18 March.

Summer 2020 WHALE&DOLPHIN 33

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Q&A

Jerome Flynn

Whales and dolphins are awe-inspiring, says the actor

Dogs or cats? Cats, then dogs.

Marmite – yes or no? Yes, but I prefer other yeast extracts.

Whales or dolphins? Equally loved.

When are you happiest? When I am deeply trusting myself, the big cosmic adventure and our trajectory within it, and the miraculous power of love.

Your one bad habit? Beating myself up (mentally) … alright, and crisps.

Favourite place? In the Irish Sea, off the west coast of Wales, on a bright autumn day, with inquisitive young seals as swimming companions, and perfect body surfing waves rolling in.

Who, dead or alive, would you like to be stuck with for a year on a desert island? Although I’m not Christian I would have to choose Jesus. And alive would be useful!

Why do you support WDC? Whales and dolphins are awe-inspiring creatures who

topping the charts with Robson Green singing Unchained Melody. He grew up in the Kent countryside where his animalloving mum took in sick and injured creatures and nursed them back to health.

sing to my heart and soul. Protecting them and their marine habitat from human exploitation and pollution is crucial work, and that’s what WDC does.

Biggest fear? That I will not make the most of my human potential and somehow skirt around my highest purpose.

I’m working on being compassionate towards my fears as they pop up and move through.

One thing you would change to improve things for whales and dolphins? If I could single-handedly shift human consciousness to a heartcentred unitive state, with a deep love and reverence for the sanctity and aliveness of all things, then whales and dolphins would thrive along with the whole natural world. The good news is that I feel the seeds of this love and consciousness are within us all, and I’m sure the shift is underway.

sea – and its Jerome loves the inhabitants in whale and dolph

Protecting whales and dolphins from exploitation and pollution is crucial work

34 WHALE&DOLPHIN Summer 2020

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