Whale and Dolphin Autumn 2016

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT SEA SANCTUARY

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

WHALE& DOLPHIN Autumn 2016 Issue 75

The magazine of WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

CIRCUS OF HORRORS Why British Airways must stop selling tickets to SeaWorld

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The fascinating lives of sperm whales WDC EDITOR Julia Thoms NEWS EDITOR Danny Groves EDITORIAL BOARD Alison Wood; Rob Lott PUBLISHED BY WDC Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1LJ, United Kingdom Registered Charity No. 1014705 Registered Company No. 2737421 T +44 (0)1249 449500 (from outside UK) E info@whales.org

Dear friends

We’ve been through a turbulent few months and seen a lot of change here in the UK. But I can promise you that what will never change is our commitment to a future where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

Whales and dolphins live in Earth’s oceans and rivers.

They do not recognise national boundaries or political ‘structures.’ Similarly, the issues affecting them often occur a long way from shore and are rarely caused by just one country. Effective protection of whales and dolphins has to be international too, covering all waters and supported by many countries, working together. It needs action by governments, individually and through international cooperation with institutions like the International Whaling Commission and bodies such as the EU. WDC has always known this. As an organisation, with offices in the UK and Germany as well as in the USA, Australia and Argentina, we are well placed to work closely with national governments and the EU; applying pressure; holding decision makers to account and giving advice where it is needed.

Your continued support is vital, and we are grateful for it. Please be assured that no matter what the future brings, WDC will continue to work all over the world, until every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

WDC also has offices in Argentina, Australia, Germany and the USA PATRONS John Craven; Monty Halls; Miranda Krestovnikoff; Michaela Strachan PUBLISHING AND ADVERTISING Consultant editor Malcolm Tait Managing editor Alec Mackenzie Sub-editor Andrew Littlefield Design Dominic Scott Advertising Alison Fraser Account director Helen Cassidy Think Scotland, Suite 2.3, Red Tree Business Suites, 33 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow G40 4LA Tel 0141 375 0504

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 and bound in the UK by Headley Brothers Ltd, on acidfree 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 Main image: Madisetti/Images Dominica Cover image: Sean Rodwell

Chris Butler-Stroud, WDC chief executive

04 News

facebook.com/ whales.org S ign up to our e-newsletter at whales.org/ newsletter @WHALES_org

Updates from the world of whales and dolphins

18 Ask the experts

10 Campaigns

A spotlight on the forgotten dolphins who endure life in captivity

15 Whale in the room

How our campaign to stop whaling is influencing trade negotiations between the EU and Japan

What does the International Whaling Commission do and why is it important for WDC to attend? Chris Butler-Stroud explains what’s been achieved so far

20 Gallery

Incredible photographs from Arun Madisetti documenting his close encounters with sperm whales in Dominica

22 Sanctuaries

The complex task of creating natural sea sanctuaries

26 Adoption updates

The latest news about your favourite dolphins, humpbacks and orcas

33 Face to face

We speak to writer Rachel Clark about her new novel for young adults exploring the bond between humans and orcas Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 3

BREACHING NEWS

MAJOR VICTORY USA

FOR ENDANGERED ORCAS

WDC has helped achieve an important success in securing the future for Southern Resident orcas off the US coast

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4 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

REMOVING DAMS AND RESTORING SALMON IN THE KLAMATH BASIN IS A HUGE, POSITIVE ACTION FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCA POPULATION

reliant on Chinook salmon for food. The dams prevented the salmon from returning to their river spawning grounds each year and this meant that the orcas’ food source was depleted.

Removing dams and restoring salmon in the Klamath Basin is a huge, positive action for the recovery of the Southern Resident orca population. With the recent loss of two members, the community is down to just 83 individuals, and poor salmon predictions for 2016 may put them in even more jeopardy.

WDC / ROB LOTT

fter nearly a decade of negotiations and campaigning to have legislation passed by US Congress, PacifiCorp, the company that owns four dams on the Klamath River of Oregon and California, has signed an agreement to remove the four dams on the river by 2020. More than 105,000 people joined our campaign – a victory for the whales and for people power.

The critically endangered Southern Resident orca community lives off the west coasts of the USA and Canada and they are

BREACHING NEWS

WDC / SEA LIFE

UK

OUR FIN-TASTIC FUNDRAISERS GREAT SWIM / NOVA

Above: We had another amazing time at Walk for Whales this year, with hundreds of walkers joining us at 10 venues on 26 June. Whales face so many urgent threats to their lives and welfare and the money raised at the walks will help us protect them.

Right: Andrew Virtue took part in the Scarborough Walk for Whales for the first time along with his

family and raised an amazing £322; really well done!

Above: For the very first time we took part in The Great London Swim with 13 WDC swimmers tackling this one mile open water course.

Not the swim most of us might do in the summer, so we’re very impressed by our Team Orca swimmers!

SOUTH KOREA

RESTAURANTS FUEL ILLEGAL WHALE HUNTS

V MIG NO N

Police in South Korea have revealed that they are catching more and more poachers involved in illegal minke whale hunting.

These hunters are driven by the vast sums that local restaurants pay for the meat.

A single minke whale can sell for up to 60 million won (around £40,000), with ‘whale meat culture’ especially strong in the cities of Ulsan, Busan and Pohang.

Jangsaengpo, which hosts the Ulsan Whale Festival, has 20 whale meat

IN MEMORIAM

MALCOLM TAIT

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alcolm Tait, who has died aged 54, was Whale & Dolphin’s publishing editor for 10 years, contributing wisdom, knowledge, passion and energy to this magazine. He brought these qualities to the many other publications he worked on too, such as British Wildlife, Waterlife and more. From 1999 to 2004 Malcolm was managing editor of the Ecologist, helping to shape what was then quite a radical publication exploring new ways of thinking about global

ANDREW SUTTON ECO2 / NICE IMAGES

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big thank you to all the fantastic supporters who raised money for whales and dolphins this summer.

It was great to see so many people passionate about whales and dolphins at Walk for Whales 2016 and The Great London Swim.

restaurants alone.

The poachers use small vessels (to avoid detection by police radars) and harpoons that contain spikes to grip the whale’s flesh.

Hyung Geun Kim from the Ulsan Federation for Environmental Movement said, ’We must get rid of the whale meat culture altogether, and transform the Ulsan Whale Festival into a cultural festival focused on whale watching ships and whale museums.’

USA

ANCIENT SPERM WHALE UNCOVERED The remains of an ancient, fossilised sperm whale have been found in a landfill site in the US. Parts of the skull, a jawbone, a flipper and 18 teeth from the whale were uncovered at the site in Orange County, and are thought to be 10 to 12 million years old.

Back then, the landfill site would have been submerged under an ancient warm ocean that the whale (measuring around 12m) would have been swimming through.

Sperm whales are one of the deepest diving mammals in the world. Typically they make dives of up to 400m, but can reach depths of up to 2-3km. We celebrate these amazing creatures in this issue’s Gallery on page 20.

environmental issues. As well as his life in magazines he was a prolific and award-winning author, writing more than 10 books in his career, from wildlife companions, particularly guides to spotting his beloved birds, to a humorous exploration of humans’ misunderstandings of animals, in Animal Tragic: Popular Misconceptions of Wildlife Through the Centuries.

Malcolm had a huge curiosity about the world and those we share it with. He loved birds, he loved all wildlife and he loved people. He had a big heart, a big laugh and a big thirst for knowledge and we will miss him. You can browse a selection of Malcolm’s books at bit.ly/malcolmtait Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 5

BREACHING NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

STOP WHALING CAMPAIGN BOOSTED

BY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

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embers of the European Parliament have demanded WDC CEO speaking stronger action by the EU with MEPs against Japan’s decision to ignore international law and continue killing whales for ‘research’.

The calls came at a recent meeting in Strasbourg when Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and representatives of the EU Council and Commission debated Japan’s so-called ‘scientific’ whaling.

Speakers from the Commission and Council repeated the EU’s strong position against scientific and commercial whaling.

This follows Japan’s announcement that it would continue whaling in the Southern Ocean despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 2014 to ban these hunts because they offered no true scientific value. Fourteen MEPs, from various political parties, agreed that the EU needs to take stronger action to put pressure on Japan. Several asked the representatives of the other EU institutions if they were planning on pursuing different measures, such as potential trade sanctions.

On 6 July, a majority of MEPs agreed on a resolution asking for stronger measures from the EU against Japanese whaling.

The vote was overwhelming, with 610 votes in favour, 11 against and 77 abstentions.

This news is a major achievement for WDC’s current campaign to stop the EU signing of a Free Trade Agreement unless Japan reconsiders its whaling practices. Just before the vote, and as part of our campaign, WDC held a meeting at the European Parliament on whaling and the trade negotiations with Japan.

With the support of our friends at the petition site Care2, we reached people all over the world with this campaign and delivered almost 270,000 signatures to MEPs. A big thank you to everyone who added their voice. We’ve sent a powerful message to the EU that it must get tough on Japan.

6 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

SINGAPORE

CAPTIVE DOLPHIN FACILITY CLOSES The operators of Underwater World, a captive dolphin facility on Sentosa, a small island off the city of Singapore, have decided to shut down after 25 years in operation.

Owners say that the closure is as a result of the lease coming to an end and that the dolphins will remain in captivity after being transported to the Chimelong dolphinarium, China.

The Chimelong facility has recently been criticised for ’sub-standard’ conditions and

the dolphins face a miserable existence in a small tank if they survive the stressful transportation to China.

WDC is continuing its work with Merlin Entertainments to establish sanctuaries for captive bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales. It’s a long and complicated process to find the right site and it also takes time to secure the necessary financial, political and community support. You can read more about this long road to freedom on page 22.

BREACHING NEWS

NORWAY

INTERNATIONAL

WHALE MEAT SUPPLIED TO FUR FARMS

GET THE FACTS ON RESPONSIBLE WHALE WATCHING

Did you know that you may be lucky enough to see the largest creature on the planet, the blue whale, off Iceland, California, Sri Lanka or the Azores? Or that almost 30 species of whale, dolphin and porpoise are found in the waters around the British Isles? Or that many species can be viewed from land, including southern right whales off South Africa?

You can find much more of this useful information in WDC’s new guide to responsible whale watching, which we hope will be invaluable whether you are seeking a general introduction or specific

information about a particular destination.

Our guide outlines the benefits of whale watching and why it is so important that operators act responsibly.

You’ll also find a checklist of what to look out for in a good whale watch trip and helpful information on some of the best places to see whales and dolphins worldwide.

If your autumn holiday plans include meeting whales, dolphins or porpoises in the wild, then make sure you read our new report before you leave home!

Find it online at bit.ly/WDCGuide

WDC / ROB LOTT

A document has been released which suggests that whale meat is being used in feed supplied to fur farms in Norway.

Norway’s whalers continue to carry out commercial whaling each year, though in recent years they have been unable to reach their government’s self-allocated kill-quota of over 1,200 whales.

The discovery of the document by our colleagues at the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Animal Welfare Institute comes as Norway continues to struggle to find markets for its whale meat. WDC has shown in the past that there is little domestic demand in the country, with government subsidies helping to prop up the industry.

USA

AQUARIUM STOPS TAKING WILD WHALES AND DOLPHINS

In a dramatic U-turn, the Georgia Aquarium in the US has announced that it will no longer take dolphins or whales caught in the wild. The move comes as the global public backlash against the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity continues to grow.

WDC campaigned to prevent the aquarium importing 18 whales captured in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia

and, following a US government decision to deny an import permit, the aquarium dropped these plans.

This new announcement by Georgia Aquarium comes on the back of a decision by SeaWorld to end all orca breeding programmes this year, making this generation of captive orcas the last to be kept in SeaWorld’s tanks.

JAPAN

NEW HUNTS DEFY COURT RULING

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apanese whalers have once again returned from hunting whales in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

According to Japan’s Fisheries Agency, 90 sei whales and 25 Bryde’s whales were killed during this hunt.

Japan has long used a research loophole in the 1986 ban on commercial whale hunting, and the Tokyo-based Institute of Cetacean Research in Japan claims that this slaughter will contribute to research studies into such things as the stomach contents of whales.

However, in March 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that this so-called ‘research whaling’ in the Antarctic contravened the 1986 ban as it offered little or no scientific value, with most of the meat actually being sold commercially on the open market in Japan.

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 7

BREACHING NEWS

USA

SEAWORLD PROFITS TANK Profit forecasts for captivity theme park giant SeaWorld have dropped once again, falling below market expectations for the year.

The company has reported a huge net loss of over $80 million as it struggles to deal with the public backlash against keeping orcas in tanks for ‘entertainment’. Anti-captivity campaigns such as those run by WDC have increased public pressure on SeaWorld, forcing the company to issue a recent, tactical statement pledging to stop breeding orcas and to phase out performances involving orcas in the coming year.

However, the 29 orcas that SeaWorld holds captive will remain in small tanks.

WDC will continue to campaign to improve their situation through the creation of more natural sea pen sanctuaries where captive orcas can be retired. WDC will also continue to highlight the plight of the numerous dolphins, pilot whales and belugas held captive by SeaWorld who seem to have been forgotten.

HARBOUR PORPOISE SKILLS REVEALED

INTERNATIONAL

The harbour porpoise might be one of the smallest cetaceans (the collective name for whales, dolphins and porpoises) but findings in a new report from Danish scientists reveal that when it comes to success in hunting its prey, the porpoise has few rivals.

Being small (less than two metres long), with a high metabolic rate, and living in cool or cold waters, means that the porpoise must feed continuously to provide the energy needed to survive, eating enough fish to replenish as much as 10% of his or her own body weight each day.

EUROPE

REPORT LINKS TOXINS TO STRANDINGS AND FERTILITY ISSUES

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WDC / CHARLIE PHILLIPS

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new study by the Institute of Zoology in London has revealed high toxin levels in large numbers of dead whales, dolphins and porpoises who have stranded on shores around Europe.

Scientists involved in the research warn that samples from the 1,081 individuals studied indicate that the accumulation of these deadly toxins may cause strandings, and drastically lower fertility levels too. It is thought that pollutants in the sea such as flame-retardants and PCBs (synthetic compounds used widely in electrical equipment until the 1970s) suppress

the immune system, causing whales and dolphins distress from multiple bacterial, parasitic and other infections.

This new report follows another by scientists at Aberdeen University released in February,

which found very high levels of chemical toxins in the bodies of a pod of whales stranded in Scotland three years ago. That study suggested that chemicals could have been a factor in the whales navigating off course.

BREACHING NEWS

WDC / NICOLA HODGINS

SUE MCGOWAN

UK

BOWHEAD SPOTTED IN CORNWALL A bowhead whale has been sighted off the south coast of Cornwall, only the second ever such recording of this species in the UK. The previous sighting came off the Isles of Scilly in February 2015, raising the possibility that this could be the same whale.

Bowheads, who can grow to around 20m, are normally found in much colder arctic waters near the ice edge. They are one of the largest whales and one of the longest-living mammals. One whale killed in 1993 was discovered to be over 200 years old.

WDC

As with other toothed whales and dolphins, porpoises use echolocation to find their prey, but the research reveals that porpoises have around a 90% success rate, consuming over 500 fish every hour. With porpoises needing to hunt night and day, the findings raise concerns about how even a small amount of human activity could well have a potentially devastating impact on these creatures, making them vulnerable to threats such as disturbance from noise or habitat loss.

UK

MORE AWARDS FOR SCOTTISH DOLPHIN CENTRE

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DC’s Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay, Moray, near Inverness, has overcome strong competition to take the Family Venue of the Year prize at the 2016 Scottish Hospitality Awards.

The centre, which receives nearly 100,000 visitors each year, was up against venues such as the Scottish SEALIFE Sanctuary, Deep Sea World, and Blair Drummond Safari Park.

The awards, based on public vote, celebrate the very best in Scottish hospitality and commend the talented individuals and businesses dedicated to constantly delivering professionalism, effort and enthusiasm to ensure impeccable service to their customers.

This latest recognition for the Scottish Dolphin Centre follows the recent award of a Certificate of Excellence for the third year running by Trip Advisor, and a four star rating

by Visit Scotland (Wildlife Experience).

‘Local and visiting families enjoy spending a day out at the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, so it is fantastic to win Family Venue of the Year,’ says centre manager Alison Rose (pictured, left). ‘Children and adults alike love to get a glimpse of the amazing dolphins who live in the waters of the Moray Firth.’

If you are in north east Scotland this year, pop in and say ‘hello’. Find more details and opening times at whales.org/scottishdolphincentre

SOUTH KOREA

RELEASED CAPTIVE DOLPHIN SEEN WITH CALF

Researchers from the Dolphin Research Group of Jeju University/Ewha Womans University in South Korea have confirmed that an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, who was released from captivity back into the wild, has been seen with a new calf.

The dolphin, known as Sampal (D38), was released into the waters off the island of Jeju after being rehabilitated in a sea pen, following a court ruling that she and four other dolphins had been illegally caught and held in marine parks. The dolphins were released in 2013 and have since been seen with groups of other wild dolphins. The calf is thought to be around 4-6 months old.

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 9

FORGOTTEN DOLPHINS

SeaWorld may have bowed to public pressure and agreed to stop breeding orcas and end the theatrical shows but no similar promise has been made for the other dolphins held in its tanks. Here, we face the facts about their welfare and take the next step in our campaign to end captivity

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CAMPAIGNS

LIFE WITHIN LIMITS

A dolphin’s life in the wild is rich and full of choice. Exploring, hunting, socialising and, in some cases, migrating. As aquatic mammals, more than 80% of these activities are done out of sight underwater. In captivity, 80% of a dolphin’s time is spent floating at the surface, looking for food or attention from the trainers who make all their choices for them.

It is notoriously difficult to diagnose poor health in captivity and it is not uncommon for

GAVIN BRAY

T

he media spotlight has, quite rightly, been shining on orcas as the poster child for the movement against whale and dolphin captivity. These powerful, social, highly mobile members of the dolphin family endure an impoverished existence in concrete tanks. SeaWorld’s announcement that it will end its orca breeding programme was tacit acceptance of this.

They will ultimately phase out orca captivity at SeaWorld.

While this announcement was warmly welcomed by WDC and by welfare organisations around the world, there was one glaring omission – there was no reference to the same policy being applied to the other whales and dolphins kept in SeaWorld’s tanks. In addition to the 29 orcas it currently holds, in the US and the Canary Islands, 168 whales and dolphins of other species are kept at its parks, making up more than 85% of its ‘collection’. For these 138 bottlenose dolphins (which includes two hybrids), 15 belugas, six pilot whales, five white-sided dolphins and four Commerson’s dolphins, it is business as usual. Sadly, these forgotten dolphins will continue to be bought, transported, bred and made to do pointless circus-style tricks all in the name of ‘entertainment’.

IN CAPTIVITY IT IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE POOR HEALTH AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR VETERINARY STAFF TO NOTICE A DOLPHIN LACKING IN APPETITE ONE DAY AND FIND HIM OR HER DEAD THE NEXT veterinary staff to notice a dolphin lacking in individuals who continue to perform in the appetite one day and find him or her dead the shadow of the Shamu stadium. next. Scientific evidence strongly supports After orcas, bottlenose dolphins are the concerns relating to the physical and mental species most people associate with SeaWorld. wellbeing of captive dolphins.

Over the years, these dolphins have been star Studies have documented higher annual performers in its shows, petting pools and mortality rates for bottlenose swim-with programmes. These i dolphins in captivity than in the high profile activities haven’t wild. Marine parks boast about their escaped the scrutiny of public world-class veterinary care, opinion and SeaWorld has recently restaurant quality fish and pollution been forced to do another aboutfree environments, but the figures turn and end its public poolside speak for themselves. We have to feeding programmes after multiple ask, why aren’t captive mortality incidents were reported of dolphins rates lower? literally biting the hand that feeds.

ROB LOTT Stress is one of the important WDC has long campaigned campaigns to end factors that may contribute to these against this practice as regular whale and dolphin higher mortality rates. Handling, feeding throughout the day has captivity confinement, restraint, isolation or resulted in obese dolphins as some overcrowding impact significantly individuals are more aggressive on captive whales and dolphins and than others – a by-product of the stress of elevate stress levels. confinement. It was also common for foreign For such highly social creatures where objects to be dropped in the tanks leading to at communication is a well-developed skill, the least one dolphin developing zinc poisoning captive situation is severely limiting as different from eating coins. subspecies or even species may be kept together.

These other ‘tribes’ or ‘nations’ do not share a UNNATURAL ENVIRONMENTS common dialect, restricting social bonding and The plight of captive belugas is no less heartthe ability to exchange information. breaking. In the wild, belugas inhabit Arctic Let’s take a closer look at these forgotten and sub-Arctic habitats and are perfectly whales and dolphins and shine a light on the adapted to extreme polar conditions.

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 11

APPEAL

WE NEED YOUR HELP L I E P H IL L IP S

TO DONATE: n Use the form on the letter that came with this magazine n Give at whales.org/give

/ CH A R

Thank you for your support. Every pound you donate is invaluable.

W DC

Your donation will help us fund our campaign and enable us to: ■ Meet with British Airways to present public support for our campaign.

■ Address ABTA, the UK travel association’s Welfare Working Group.

■ Present to the British Airways board in Germany highlighting an issue that BA’s continental customers would be keen to address.

■ Take our campaign to the largest tour operator gathering – It’s time for the suffering to end. the World Travel Market in London. This event will allow us to Will you give £30 to help us end present our concerns on facilities holding whales and dolphins whale and dolphin captivity? captive to the largest tour operator gathering in the world.

Keeping highly intelligent, complex and incredibly social whales and dolphins in captivity is utterly barbaric. The pressure we are exerting is having an impact, but we need your support to help the forgotten 168 dolphins and whales who endure a life of confinement, restraint, stress, poor health, isolation or overcrowding in SeaWorld’s tanks.

Georgia Aquarium lost a legal battle to import 18 wild-caught belugas from Russia

GAVIN BRAY

In captivity, belugas have been kept in wholly inappropriate conditions such as in warm water Mediterranean sea pens off the coast of Turkey.

Like orcas, belugas have also suffered from aggressive interactions with other tank members. In 2015, Nanuq, a male beluga, on loan to SeaWorld Orlando from Vancouver Aquarium died from an infection in a fractured jaw. Nanuq, captured in Hudson Bay in Canada over 30 years ago, was involved in an altercation with other belugas, leading to his death.

His story, tragically, was yet another example of a lifetime of confinement in a stress-filled environment.

Marine parks have struggled for years to establish a successful beluga breeding programme. In the summer of 2015, within the space of just a few weeks, two beluga calves died in marine parks in the US. At Georgia Aquarium, Maris lost her calf at just onemonth-old, while in SeaWorld San Antonio, a premature beluga calf survived for just three weeks. There was more bad news to come at both facilities later in the year when Georgia Aquarium announced that Maris herself had also died. The reason given was ‘sudden, acute animal death’! While in SeaWorld San Antonio it was announced in October that a female beluga called Stella had passed away – she was just two years old.

It was around this time that SeaWorld, in a rare bow to public pressure, backed out of a deal

by Georgia Aquarium to import 18 wild-caught belugas from Russia into the US. After several high profile court appearances Georgia Aquarium decided not to appeal a judge’s ruling and thus brought to an end this years-long import saga. The ruling was a significant win for WDC as we were a plaintiff in the appeal

MARINE PARKS HAVE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS TO ESTABLISH A SUCCESSFUL BELUGA BREEDING PROGRAMME. IN THE SUMMER OF 2015, WITHIN THE SPACE OF JUST A FEW WEEKS, TWO BELUGA CALVES DIED IN MARINE PARKS IN THE US case. It was also a victory for the anti-captivity which is often quoted by SeaWorld in many of movement and for wild beluga populations and its necropsy reports on whales and dolphins, highlighted a growing distaste among the was ‘gastrointestinal issues’. Two other Orlando public for wild captures. Soon afterwards, in Commerson’s died in 2014 from liver failure. another U-turn and bow to public pressure, Betsy was one of twelve dolphins captured in Georgia Aquarium announced it would 1983 – half of whom died within a year, no longer take whales or dolphins some within days. Commerson’s who had been captured from dolphins are considered ‘high the wild. energy’ and notoriously In June this year, Bubbles, difficult to train and as such a short-finned pilot whale, don’t ‘perform’ well in the died at SeaWorld San Diego game of choreographed after decades in captivity. entertainment. This is one She was taken from the of the reasons that today wild in 1966 and was some of the Commerson’s considered to be the oldest held by SeaWorld remain in A wild Commerson’s pilot whale at SeaWorld, the back pools away from dolphin in the Magellan estimated to be ‘in her 50s’. Five public viewing.

Strait, Chile of the remaining six pilot whales SeaWorld San Antonio is the are wild whales who were ‘rescued’ only park to hold Pacific white-sided

by SeaWorld after stranding and are now a key dolphins and, since the death of Dart earlier feature of the marine circus. this year at the tragically young age of 12, only One of the smaller and lesser known species five remain. Most are captive born except Betty that SeaWorld holds at its Aquatica park in who was captured from the wild in 1980. Latest Florida are the Commerson’s dolphins. In reports reveal that Betty is currently under January this year, Betsy, a wild caught dolphin, intensive veterinary care as tests reveal signs died just days after being transferred from of inflammation or a possible infection. Dart SeaWorld San Diego to join the other was the fourth marine mammal to die at the Commerson’s in Orlando. The cause of death, San Antonio facility within a six month period.

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 13

CAMPAIGNS

Join our campaign to stop British Airways selling tickets to SeaWorld

An aerial view of SeaWorld San Diego’s Shamu Stadium and show pools

JUST SAY NO

PRESSURE ON THE JET SET

One of the toughest nuts to crack has been British Airways. We met with them in 2014 as they were keen to understand both sides of the captivity debate. The UK is rightly proud of the fact that the last dolphinarium closed its doors over 20 years ago and today there remains no political will or public desire for them to reopen.

As the UK’s national airline we had high hopes for the BA meeting as their company’s 14 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

SEAN RODWELL

As the list of accidents, injuries and deaths grows ever longer WDC’s message is the same today as it has always been: please don’t buy a ticket for any marine park, zoo or aquarium that holds captive whales and dolphins for human ‘entertainment’.

In recent years, WDC has taken this message to tour operators who actively promote marine parks such as SeaWorld to their customers. Our campaign has made significant inroads in highlighting the plight of captive whales and dolphins to these travel companies. Sir Richard Branson and Virgin listened to us back in 2014 and pledged not to work with any facilities that sourced whales and dolphins from the wild.

WDC also input to work by the UK’s largest travel association, ABTA, to develop animal welfare guidelines. While the guidelines include specific recommendations on Dolphins in Captive Environments, they are, by definition, just guidelines and as such unenforceable. Frustratingly, ABTA members such as Thomas Cook, Thomson, First Choice, Cosmos and Virgin Holidays still do not fully comply. In one example, the guidelines recommend that whale and dolphin performances should only involve natural behaviours, yet ABTA members routinely promote and offer trips to facilities where dolphins can be seen jumping through hoops, pushing trainers through the water and shooting basketballs – hardly the behaviours you would expect to see in the wild!

Our conversations with ABTA continue to push for compliance with the guidelines and also underline the responsibility they have to the public who book trips with their members.

WDC PRODUCED THE COMPELLING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BRITISH AIRWAYS REQUESTED, STARKLY ILLUSTRATING HOW POORLY WHALES AND DOLPHINS FARE IN CAPTIVITY environmental policy should reflect the nation’s ethics and values.

At the meeting with BA we presented a 250,000-strong petition that was started on change.org by WDC supporter, Kathleen Haase, calling on the airline to end its relationship with SeaWorld.

WDC produced the compelling scientific evidence BA requested, starkly illustrating how poorly whales and dolphins fare in captivity which, we thought, was well received. On meeting with SeaWorld, however, at a later date, the theme park persuaded BA that all their care and welfare standards exceeded best practice – an opinion which BA preferred to believe.

Fast forward then to SeaWorld’s recent announcement to end orca breeding. This decision was due in no small part to public pressure and to our work. SeaWorld is a business and any shrewd business must react when its

share price dives, its PR machine falters and customers start to desert its product in droves.

SeaWorld’s senior management have listened to the public and media pressure and seen the light on captive orcas, but it is not enough. There needs to be a similar commitment for the other 168 whales and dolphins for whom no comparable announcement has been made.

Belugas, pilot whales, bottlenoses and the other dolphins all face the same risks to their health and welfare as captive orcas. Why should their situation be less important?

Isn’t the time now right for British Airways to revisit its position on supporting these facilities and end its business relationship with SeaWorld? n

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Sign our petition at whales.org/forgottendolphins

CAMPAIGNS

WHALE IN THE ROOM

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WDC CEO Chris Butler-Stroud meets with MEPs

WDC

rying to muster the support of whale friendly, conservation minded governments in the fight to stop whaling should be a straightforward thing. The UK and most European Union countries have long been a strong voice for the protection and conservation of whales and dolphins. The UK public remains fervently anti-whaling. A recent poll, commissioned by WDC and Humane Society International, showed that more than nine out of 10 (94%) UK adults oppose hunting whales for commercial purposes and that a massive 81% of UK adults think the EU should discourage Japan from whaling in the course of current free trade agreement negotiations.

Yet whaling is often the big ‘whale in the room’ when economic interests and trade partnerships are being discussed between the whaling nations and the whale friendly

A new trade agreement between the EU and Japan is in negotiation but no deals should be made until the Japanese slaughter of whales stops countries like the UK. While the EU continues to assure the public of its strong anti-whaling stance and the importance of the international whaling ban, they have so far not used the immense leverage that lies within trade and economic interests when trying to convince Japan to end whaling once and for all.

Making the metaphorical whale visible and giving her a voice is where our supporters and the public come in, and you can make a real difference. Indeed, you already have.

A MASSIVE 81% OF UK ADULTS THINK THE EU SHOULD DISCOURAGE JAPAN FROM WHALING IN THE COURSE OF CURRENT FREE TRADE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 15

CAMPAIGNS Below: The MV Nissin Maru is the primary vessel of the Japanese whaing fleet Right: Our CEO (centre) in talks with MEPs in Brussels earlier in June Opposite page: The main species hunted

by Japan are the common minke whale and Antarctic minke whale

Since the campaign launch in March 2016, almost 270,000 people have joined and signed our petition urging the European Parliament to call on the European Commission to make Japan’s continued violations of the International Whaling Moratorium a central topic in the current free trade negotiations between the EU and Japan. Specifically, the petition calls on the European Parliament not to make such an agreement so long as the Japanese government supports whaling and refuses to adhere to its international obligations. Thank you to everyone who got involved and to our friends at the petition site Care2 – we have delivered your signatures, sending a powerful message to decision makers in Brussels and will keep you updated on our progress.

TAKING IT TO THE TOP

In addition to increasing public calls not to sell out whales for profit, our campaigners and scientific experts have been working with government officials behind the scenes. WDC has long participated in the Scientific Committee Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). This committee met in June and Japan’s transgressions, continued flouting of international agreements and its bogus science were hot topics. We engaged in the discussions and provided scientific expertise. Another central strand of our campaign has been liaising directly with 16 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

WDC WORKS TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE EVERY WHALE AND DOLPHIN IS SAFE AND FREE. IN FACT, THAT VISION SHOULD BE THE PLEDGE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE UK GOVERNMENT AND EVERY WHALE FRIENDLY GOVERNMENT AROUND THE GLOBE members of the European Parliament to make a case for whales. WDC works to create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

In fact, that vision should be the pledge of the European Union, the UK government and every whale friendly government around the globe.

On 28 June 2016, WDC and our partner Humane Society International (HSI) held a meeting at the European Parliament on whaling and the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Experts from WDC, HSI and Cambridge University discussed the economics and politics of Japanese whaling; the threat it poses to global conservation efforts; Japan’s failure to abide by the decisions of both the International Whaling Commission (the body that regulates whaling) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and the implications of the International Court of Justice ruling in 2014 that Japan’s Antarctic whaling is illegal.

The event, hosted by David Martin MEP,

considered the opportunities presented by the EU-Japan FTA negotiations to influence Japan’s stance on whaling.

Mark Simmonds, WDC’s director of science for many years and now working for HSI, presented first on how the IWC Scientific Committee functions in giving advice to the IWC, and how the Scientific Committee is seeking ways to use the International Court of Justice’s ruling to end Japan’s hunt. Mark explained to MEPs how Japan had gone ahead and launched a new programme of Antarctic whaling without the endorsement of the IWC and, in his view, without compliance with the court judgement.

Mike Becker of the University of Cambridge, and a former associate legal officer of the International Court of Justice during the whaling case, outlined the facts of the case.

Mike was careful not to pass verdict on whether Japan was now in contravention of the

ALAMY

WDC

judgement, but he left those at the meeting in no doubt as to the seriousness of Japan’s actions.

Chris Butler-Stroud, WDC’s chief executive officer, spoke on the issue of Japanese government strategy and tactics when it comes to whaling. He outlined Japan’s long-term strategy of recruiting sympathetic new members to the IWC in return for development aid, while seeking to destabilise conservation initiatives.

Chris also brought the discussions back to our campaign and the current EU Commission negotiations with Japan on establishing a Free Trade Agreement. He pointed out that a failure to take this opportunity to make whaling a deal breaker would be a signal in its own right. If the EU doesn’t take this chance, Japan could use it as an excuse to disregard complaints from countries, conservation organisations and the Japanese public on whaling.

On behalf of WDC, our supporters and the whales, Chris urged the EU to take action as its democratic duty.

A fourth speaker, Denis Baresch, coordinator of trade and development for the Trade and Sustainable Development Unity of DG Trade (EU Commission), sought to respond to the questions raised by the speakers, claiming that the EU would be acting through the IWC. We are being heard in Brussels. Thanks to the overwhelming support our campaign has received, Members of the EU Parliament

government we have, and how committed both bodies are to protecting whales and dolphins.

It is essential that we continue to apply pressure within the EU over the coming months to stop Japan gaining a valuable trade deal, while whales needlessly die. The referendum decision won’t affect WDC’s will or ability to deliver this important campaign.

Longer term, as a separate country within the International THE ROAD AHEAD Whaling Commission (the EU This October, the IWC will meet for votes as a ‘bloc’, so the UK outside the 66th time. WDC will be there of the EU will continue to have one providing expertise and making vote, just as countries such as the sure the EU is reminded of its USA and Norway do) our work promise to work through the IWC to ASTRID FUCHS with the UK government will be as hold Japan accountable and stop leads WDC’s work critical as it always was in the fight killing whales for profit. We will to stop whaling to end whaling. make sure the ban on commercial Your continued support is vital whaling is kept firmly in place and too, and we are grateful for it. Please be assured that Japan’s continued abuse of the loophole that no matter what the future brings, WDC of Scientific Whaling is stopped. We will will continue to operate across borders and make sure Japan does not get a commercial oceans, using the most appropriate global whaling quota. protection measures we can influence, from Now the UK has decided to leave the the use of state and country level mechanisms, European Union, we don’t yet know how the all the way down to encouraging the actions of UK’s political future will play out, or individual citizens, be they of the UK, of precisely how it will affect whales and Europe or the world. And we shall continue dolphins and our work to protect them. That until we have a world where every whale will depend on the type of relationship the and dolphin is safe and free. n UK has with the EU, on the type of endorsed our arguments as they discussed Japan’s illegal whaling on 8 June. Shortly afterwards, on 6 July, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution asking for stronger measures from the EU against Japanese whaling. The vote was 610 votes in favour, 11 against and 77 abstentions. This is a massive victory for our campaign and means that the EU must now get tough on Japan’s whaling. i

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 17

Delegates during the 64th annual meeting of the IWC in Panama, 2012

ALAMY

INSIDE THE IWC

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Signing the ICRW in 1946

What is the IWC and how does WDC work within it?

majority vote, or binding decisions which aced with crashing whale populations need a three quarters vote. and pressure on prices for whale oil, These binding decisions are required the nations of the world came together for fundamental changes, such as the in 1946 to sign the International implementation of the Convention for the i current moratorium on Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). commercial whaling.

In so doing, they established the Since its inception the IWC International Whaling Commission has wrestled with a diminished (IWC) as the body to oversee whaling industry trying to hang both the conservation of whales on in the face of a world community and whaling. that has moved further and further The new IWC created several in favour of whale conservation. committees, including the CHRIS BUTLERFrom its beginnings, the IWC tried STROUD Scientific Committee, to advise it on to maintain commercial whaling is WDC’s chief its management decisions. The IWC by implementing various different, executive officer was to be responsible for deciding but all ultimately unsuccessful, how many whales the nations of management regimes, until in 1982, the world should be allowed to kill a three quarters majority of the nations at the between them for commercial purposes, and IWC voted to enact a moratorium, or ban, how many whales aboriginal subsistence on commercial whaling. It was planned that hunters should be permitted to kill for food. this would come into force after a short They called these allocations ‘quotas’ and period to allow for a phase out of existing the IWC issues these aboriginal subsistence whaling activities. quotas to this day.

From 1985/86, all commercial whaling was Decisions made by the IWC are either nonto have ceased. Japan, Norway and Iceland, binding resolutions which require a simple 18 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

however, found ways to continue hunting whales through the use of formal objections and an abuse of so called ‘scientific’ whaling.

In the 1990s, Japan and the whaling members began a strategy of seeking to block conservation moves and trying to overturn the moratorium decision. Japan began recruiting new IWC members through the use of overseas aid in return for votes.

This semi-successful strategy has left the IWC unable to extinguish commercial whaling. But it has not managed to overturn the moratorium.

OUR INVOLVEMENT

WDC has attended and participated in the IWC meetings for nearly three decades.

We have played a critical role in advising pro-conservation governments and providing expertise and knowledge on the workings of the IWC. Through the years, WDC has

ASK THE EXPERTS highlighted the cruelty of whaling and driven forward IWC conservation work to protect whales and dolphins. We have challenged the attempts of the whalers to create new categories of whaling, and stopped attempts to create deals that would have allowed whaling in by the back door.

In the 1990s, WDC worked with partners, including the UK’s RSPCA, to end the use of the electric lance. Japan, fearful of IWC regulation, halted the use of this barbaric device that slowly killed whales with electricity.

In the last ten years WDC drove criticism of the growing commercialisation of the aboriginal subsistence hunts in Greenland.

WDC carried out undercover investigations in Greenland and Denmark to demonstrate that some whaling there was carried out for profit and not to meet any subsistence need.

We followed this up with a campaign at the IWC that resulted in the member states refusing to give Greenland a quota to kill any whales between 2012 and 2014.

In the coming years, WDC will remain an active participant in the workings of the IWC. It is not the most pleasant of roles for an organisation that wants to be out celebrating whales and delivering conservation, but in

88

MEMBER STATES CURRENTLY IN THE IWC

Portorož in Slovenia will host IWC66 between 20–28 October 2016

OVER 50,000 WHALES HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE 1986 BAN ON COMMERCIAL WHALING CAME INTO EFFECT BECAUSE OF LOOPHOLES THAT HAVE ALLOWED SOME COUNTRIES TO CARRY ON THE SLAUGHTER order to secure a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free, it is critical that we are able to stop any attempt to resume the horror of commercial whaling. It is also vital that our experts are in place to leverage the progressive and necessary attempts of a transforming IWC to tackle the growing threats to whales and dolphins around the world.

Your support is vital in providing the funds we need to get us to these international summits where the future of whaling is decided. For the whales, I thank you. n

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GENTLE GIANTS

Amazing images taken by Arun Madisetti capture the incredible grace and power of the sperm whale

T

he largest of the toothed whales, sperm whales are the record breakers of the sea. They have the largest brain on Earth, eat around a tonne of squid and fish every day, can hold their breath for up to two hours and dive to a depth of two and a half kilometres. The clicks they make to echolocate are among the loudest sounds made by any creature.

Sperm whales are, quite literally, awesome. But it gets even better. Different groups of sperm whales have their own distinct dialects and cultures. And, like humans, they prefer to hang out with other whales who are like them. They even follow trends and fashion.

Friend of WDC Hal Whitehead has studied sperm whale culture for decades. Under Hal’s guidance, PhD student Mauricio Cantor has recently published his stunning research demonstrating conclusively that cultural evolution is not just a human thing, and that whales and humans have much more in common than meets the eye.

We dedicate this gallery to Malcolm Tait, Whale & Dolphin’s publishing editor of many years. Malcolm was as fascinated as we are by these challenges to our understanding of non-human species.

20 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

ALL IMAGES: © MADISETTI / IMAGES DOMINICA

GALLERY

Photographer, marine biologist and scuba instructor Arun Madisetti took these stunning images of sperm whales in the Caribbean off the coast of Dominica while working under a government-issued permit

SANCTUARIES

THE LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM

With work under way to establish sanctuaries for the retirement and rehabilitation of captive bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales, WDC captivity campaign manager Cathy Williamson explains how complicated the process to find and develop the right site really is

W

already holding captive whales and dolphins, hale and dolphin sanctuaries but has also, as part of its SEA LIFE brand, are firmly part of WDC’s remit taken a position against the keeping of whales to address the need for an and dolphins in captivity. Merlin recognises alternative future for more than that the highly evolved sensory abilities and 3,000 whales, dolphins and complex social structures of whales porpoises held in captivity. These i and dolphins make them unsuited individuals are kept in over 300 to confinement in captivity, and facilities in more than 50 countries. so they asked WDC to work with As aquaria and marine parks close them to create a better future for and even the likes of SeaWorld the whales and dolphins who announce a phase-out of orca come into their care. captivity, sanctuaries are needed Thus began the long road to provide a long-term future for CATHY to establishing the world’s first those who cannot return to the wild.

WILLIAMSON For those who can, sanctuaries will leads WDC’s work permanent sanctuaries for captive whales and dolphins. But why does provide a suitable environment to end whale and it seem to be taking so long? for them to undergo the necessary dolphin captivity To begin with, such a project improvements in mental and has never been attempted before. physical health that will prepare While similar projects exist for terrestrial them for a return to their ocean homes. species, there is currently no whale or dolphin WDC is working on two sanctuary projects, sanctuary that provides a model for us to work for bottlenose dolphins and for belugas, with to. So we are learning everything from scratch. the global attractions company Merlin It’s been a steep learning curve!

Entertainments. Merlin has acquired facilities 22 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

The most important and necessary first step to establishing our sanctuaries has been finding the right locations that are going to work for the individuals who will live there and the infrastructure needed to support them.

We have favoured coastal marine environments within the ranges for depth, temperature, salinity and PH that the species would naturally seek out. We have looked for areas large enough to accommodate several individuals (some of whom may need to be kept separately from one another), locations with a great deal more space than current captive facilities provide and ideally with enough space to encourage natural behaviour.

MERLIN RECOGNISES THAT THE HIGHLY EVOLVED SENSORY ABILITIES AND COMPLEX SOCIAL STRUCTURES OF WHALES AND DOLPHINS MAKE THEM UNSUITED TO CONFINEMENT IN CAPTIVITY, AND SO THEY ASKED WDC TO WORK WITH THEM TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE WHALES AND DOLPHINS WHO COME INTO THEIR CARE

The area also needs to offer a wide range of movement while allowing for close contact with veterinary and other care staff.

We have looked for clean, pollution-free areas with sufficient tidal flow but protection from storms and high waves. We have also favoured areas which are easy to reach to bring in the individual whales and dolphins and staff and supplies, and also allow unintrusive visitor access. And local governmental and public support is vital.

With all these criteria to meet, as well as gaining the necessary local and regional support, funding and permits, realising our dream has taken much longer than we might have hoped.

WHAT WILL SANCTUARIES LOOK LIKE? First and foremost, and in contrast to commercial facilities holding whales and dolphins around the world, the sanctuaries will be built and run for their whale and dolphin residents. Sanctuary design depends on location, and on the individuals being cared for, but ideally there would be a large area of varied depth and natural environmental enrichment enclosed by a sea pen. It’s possible this would be combined with smaller enclosures within to separate incompatible individuals and, in some cases where contraception is not appropriate, to prevent breeding. Medical facilities would include a veterinary laboratory and separate medical

pool. The staff facilities, food preparation areas and visitor facilities would be located on land.

The sanctuaries will provide both temporary and permanent homes. Temporary – for those who are found to be suitable for a return to the wild. They will be rehabilitated and then moved to their native waters in a carefully managed release programme. Permanent – for those deemed unsuitable for release. These individuals will spend the rest of their lives in human care, but in a more natural environment, with more choice over their lives and who they interact with and how.

We hope that most of them will recover health and fitness and behave and live more like their counterparts in the wild.

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 23

VITAL STATISTICS

What the ideal sanctuary sites for bottlenose dolphins and belugas whales should provide

TESTING THE WATERS BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN

What are the ideal conditions BELUGA WHALE for these species?

DEPTH: 3-10 METRES DEPTH: 2-10 METRES PH: 7.6-8.2 PH: 7.2-7.8 TEMPERATURE: 55-60F (MINIMUM) TEMPERATURE: 57-59F (OPTIMAL) SALINITY: 25-35 PARTS PER THOUSAND SALINITY: 28-32 PARTS PER THOUSAND

SANCTUARY SIZE Estimated 45,000 square metres (approx 6.3 football fields) for six dolphins or belugas, rising to 75,000 square metres (approx 10.5 football fields) for 12

SANCTUARY REQUIREMENTS Needs to be a secure and quiet site, with limited nearby boat traffic and other disturbances

Space for visitor facilities including an education centre and viewing platforms on land

Should allow space for husbandry, medical and research facilities on adjacent land

No excessively turbid water, major rivers or fresh water emptying into the site

A natural setting such as a sea-fed coastal bay or island site, preferably with a beach or other sheltered area that can be closed off using piles and netting 24 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

Access to good fish supplies, including snap-frozen fish at 10-15 lb per dolphin per day

Site should offer protection from swell, winter storms and other adverse weather conditions, excessive tidal drop at low water (e.g. up to 6ft) and spring tide Accessible to local infrastructure, roads and airports, to facilitate provision of supplies and movement of the dolphins

SANCTUARIES

SANCTUARIES ARE EXPENSIVE AND COMPLICATED TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT. THEY REQUIRE A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS TO GET THEM RIGHT AND TO FIND THE NECESSARY LOCATIONS AND FUNDING

ANSGAR WALK

The cost of establishing a sanctuary is going to be high – possibly up to £10 million. In providing lifelong care for many individuals, costs will continue to rise, perhaps into the tens of millions, but it is hoped that each sanctuary would eventually become financially stable through ticket sales, visitor donations and successful fundraising.

WHO IS INVOLVED?

The involvement of Merlin in these sanctuary projects brings with it the company’s host of veterinarian and marine life experts, as well as experts in aquarium facility design and infrastructure, business and visitor experience.

WDC has several staff from its Policy team, including End Captivity team members Cathy Williamson and Rob Lott, involved in the projects providing whale and dolphin expertise, including advice on whale and dolphin welfare, research and public education.

Other independent whale and dolphin specialists are also advising on how the developing sanctuary designs will impact on the daily lives of the whales and dolphins destined to live there. These experts are also helping to prepare these captive individuals for relocation to their new environment.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Sanctuaries are expensive and complicated to design and implement. They require a variety of stakeholders to get them right and to find the necessary locations and funding. Their finer details are dictated by the individual whales and dolphins who will live in them and by the opportunities and challenges presented by the chosen location. Contingency planning is vital to take into account all possible eventualities, including some that might not be envisaged.

Perhaps most importantly, expectations must be managed. Whales and dolphins are vulnerable to handling and transport and to relocation to new environments. The risk of death rises significantly every time they are moved.

Nevertheless, remaining in captivity presents a significantly higher risk to health and welfare, and that could be improved by relocation to a sanctuary.

Relocation and adaptation to this new environment therefore needs to be very carefully planned and handled.

There is a great deal of work to do to establish sanctuaries for the thousands of whales and dolphins in captivity around the world, including raising the necessary funds to do so. WDC is at the forefront of this work and is currently investigating potential locations for both bottlenose dolphin and beluga sanctuaries.

We hope that if and when funds are secured, surveys bring positive results and permits are obtained, so that construction on one or both sanctuaries begins in the next two to three years.

Meanwhile, the capture and imprisonment of whales and dolphins continues and we will put all the necessary efforts into addressing that, while at the same time working to provide them with a better future. n Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 25

ADOPTION UPDATES Here’s all the latest news about the bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales and orcas you so generously adopt – presented by the people who know them so well

DOLPHINS

ORCAS HUMPBACKS

ALL IMAGES: WDC / CHARLIE PHILLIPS

DOLPHIN DIARIES

Brought to you by Charlie Phillips

y Firth.

It’s been a busy time here in the Inner Mora nably reaso ing A good salmon migration is bring into sized social groups of bottlenose dolphins ng Findi ins. dolph tion adop WDC the ding the area – inclu can sometimes each individual dolphin during the season only on personal not rely I . work ctive require a wee bit of dete ographs and phot observations, but also on invaluable help, h and breadth lengt the s ague colle information from friends and tend to be ins dolph e enos bottl ugh Altho .

Firth y of the Mora times just how mobile coastal in their behaviour, we forget some ing dolphins many sight ces sour le reliab have I they can be, and the dolphins day, given kilometres away from shore. On any etres of water kilom re squa plus 0 5,00 the could be anywhere in Sea that is the North that makes up the huge triangle of the chilly Moray Firth. y habitual. If I watch Thankfully, these dolphins are also highl fingernails and a n bitte with and wait for long enough, often six adopt a dolphin the of each face, my on worried expression cameras. And one big my stars eventually comes into range of or her and him find I as in dolph each by one, I can ‘tick off’ up to, who they been have they what t abou you to back report or exciting have been seen with and any interesting t the abou te upda this enjoy you that news. I hope t. adop you wonderful, wild and free dolphins

To receive your monthly email dolphin update send your supporter number to info@whales.org 26 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

 Rainbow

Rainbow has arrived back at Chanonry Point at around the same time as she and young Indigo popped up in front of me last season. Both are looking in super condition. Rainbow has picked up two broad but superficial lightcoloured abrasions on the right side of her dorsal fin, possibly from rubbing up against something. They might not last for too long though before her skin’s amazing repair mechanisms kick in (around ten times faster than humans).

Indigo is having great fun, hunting side by side for fish with his expert hunter of a mum. He has a slightly ‘wobbly’ dorsal fin and it’s amazing to watch it vibrate as he pumps his tail up and down while sprinting after prey.

 Mischief

Mischief seems to be happily cruising around the Inner Firth surrounded by youngsters as usual – almost being the crèche master, as it were. But every now and again, he and his big buddy Sundance go storming off into the distance at top speed and then there are huge fish being thrown around all over the place. Mischief has been quite photofriendly recently, popping up beside yachts and tour boats, and his unique dorsal fin makes him easy to point out to the supporters who watch enthralled as these amazing dolphins go about their daily lives.

Follow Charlie’s blog at whales.org/adoptadolphinblog

On Twitter @adoptadolphin

 Moonlight

Moonlight and her youngest offspring arrived back in the Cromarty Firth at a similar time as last year. She will be showing her lovely young dolphin all the technicalities of catching fish, as she begins to lessen the milk supply and starts to encourage him or her to move on to solid food. Almost immediately, Moonlight demonstrated just how adept she is at hunting.

With a barely discernible rush of water she had her first salmon firmly in her jaws. I’m hoping that Moonlight stays around a bit longer this year than she did last, and fingers crossed for a better and more constant food supply for this wonderful dolphin.

 Kesslet

Kesslet has been the most easily spotted of all of the adoption dolphins. Her son Charlie is totally independent and has his own social group of friends but he still likes to visit his mum and his own home turf, as it were, in the Kessock Channel

and the area around the Inverness Marina. Kesslet is looking as lovely as ever but has picked up a few rake marks around the dorsal fin and body, demonstrating that she does still mix it up in the complicated world of dolphin social life.

 Spirit

 Sundance

Sundance has been kept on his metaphorical toes, as there have been a few young pretenders around the Inner Firth recently. I have seen a bit of dominance behaviour going on from time to time. I spotted Sundance leaping right over the top of young Conran a few times one day after a bit of charging around. A sure sign that he was

demonstrating that he is still ‘top dolphin’, and that Conran and some of the sub-adult dolphins occasionally need to be reminded of their place in the complicated social structure of bottlenose dolphin society. This is something that we humans are still only just beginning to decipher and understand.

Spirit has been the last of the six adoption dolphins to give me a visit at Chanonry Point this year. It was great to see her and her youngster (who is the same age as Moonlight’s) going cruising past the beach at Chanonry. They were nicely positioned for my camera – not too far away and not moving too quickly, so I was able to get some nice identification images of her. Also just confirmed, exciting news about Spirit’s older daughter – Sparkle did indeed have a baby last autumn and that makes Spirit a young grandmother. This is great news and we are so pleased. I’d love to get a photo of all four of them together (five if you count Shimmer) but that is going to take some doing!

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 27

ADOPTION UPDATES

HUMPBACK HEADLINES

a Brought to you by Regina Asmutis-Silvi e is in the As I write this, our North American offic h season. watc e whal of part middle of the busiest ing keep work at hard are staff and ns Our inter on seas The year. this up with all the data and sightings so far the to ning retur ks pbac hum with , started out quite unusually in mid-June, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary pbacks in the hum r fewe see instead of mid-May. When we e watch boats whal most for n natio desti ary prim sanctuary, the a lot of bait isn’t there use in Massachusetts, it is usually beca to feed. else e wher some gone have they so fish in our waters could we as g sprin this However, we were especially puzzled one no but r, wate the in fish oling see lots of the small, scho tion humpbacks adop the that know also We . them eat there to Great South sometimes like to feed in the waters of the the WDC office from crew the so Cod, Cape of Channel, east e. tigat inves decided to get out on the water and than 30 more d foun we lling, trave of After five hours iques, including techn ng feedi of kinds all using ks pbac hum lunge feeding. kick feeding, bubble net feeding and even Bank, it paled agen Stellw on bait of lot a was there Although fish in the oling scho l, smal of in comparison to the amount e perfect mad It ! dible incre was It Cod. Cape waters east of Stellwagen the to north d sense that the whales had not move buffet ss endle ingly seem a had they Bank Sanctuary when ks did pbac hum the where they were. By mid-June, some of shown ve they’ again once but , north eventually start to move know us that no matter how well we think we always their behaviours and patterns, they will be able to surprise us.

 Pepper

As an adult female, Pepper travels to the Caribbean to find a mate or to have a calf. She then comes back to the Gulf of Maine to feed, most likely because it’s where her mum taught her feeding techniques. In turn, this is where she has shown each of her 11 calves how to feed. Of her 11 known children, Pepper has one known daughter, Habanero, and three grandcalves through Habanero, although she could have many more grandcalves fathered by any of her male calves. Since humpbacks from all of the different feeding grounds go down to the Caribbean breeding grounds, Pepper’s sons may have bred with female humpbacks who aren’t part of the Gulf of Maine population, and who return to their mother’s feeding area each spring. Pepper is back and so are her kids! Perhaps two is her lucky number as she has been sighted twice this season, and two of her offspring have been seen, too – Striation and Habenero.

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SALT HAS EVIDENTLY BEEN AN ATTENTIVE MOTHER WHO SEEMS TO DO A GREAT JOB OF SHOWING HER KIDS WHERE TO FIND FOOD

 Salt

 Reflection

 Midnight

Midnight, and the rest of the humpbacks in the Gulf of Maine population, come to these waters to feed as much as they can during the spring, summer and autumn months. After the long winter of using her blubber reserves for energy, Midnight is ready to put that weight back on and prepare for the upcoming winter. Midnight has yet to be spotted in New England so far, but we have no doubt that she is feeding where there is plentiful food. The first females we expect to arrive each feeding season in the Gulf of Maine are the juveniles, followed by pregnant females, females without a calf and who are not pregnant, and finally mothers with calves. We’re not sure which category Midnight fits into yet this year, but we are excited to find out.

Midnight’s last calf was born in 2014 so she could have a calf with her this year, although she usually waits at least three years between calves. If she doesn’t come back with a calf this year, we certainly hope she is eating for two.

ALL IMAGES: WDC

It is always a highlight when we spot one of the adoptable whales, so when our interns and staff went on a whale watching trip recently they were thrilled to see Reflection. She is easy to identify, not only by her unique black and white pattern on the bottom of her tail, but also for her kick feeding technique. Kick feeding is when a whale hits the surface of the water to create a disturbance which confuses small schooling fish, causing them to group together.

Reflection is an expert at kick feeding and this is the feeding behaviour we see her use most frequently.

Earlier in the trip we saw Crisscross, Reflection’s calf from 2009, bubble net feeding in a group. Our interns also saw Buzzard, her 2000 calf. It seems that Reflection, whom we often see early in the season, has passed this trait on to her children.

Salt has been spotted in New England and brought her 14th known calf with her! This calf is named Sriracha, as Salt’s calves are the only ones to receive names in their first year. Salt is one of the largest and most prolific humpback whales in this population. She has evidently been an attentive mother who seems to do a great job of showing her kids where to find food, as many of them have been successful in their own right. In addition to Sriracha, Salt’s family has four other new arrivals! Her daughter Thalassa has her tenth baby, and her daughter Mostaza has had her third. Salt’s granddaughter, EtchA-Sketch has her second calf and Salt’s eleventh born, Sanchal, brought back her very first calf this year! This brings the size of Salt’s immediate family to 14 known children, 14 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

We hope that the women in Salt’s family continue to have calves every other year.

AFTER THE LONG WINTER OF USING HER BLUBBER RESERVES FOR ENERGY, MIDNIGHT IS READY TO PUT THAT WEIGHT BACK ON

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 29

ADOPTION UPDATES

ORCA ODYSSEYS

Brought to you by Helena Symonds & Paul

Spong

e these days. We know Signs of the climate crisis are everywher t, are in trouble. plane that we, and life as we know it on our accompany them, that s flood the and es Unprecedented delug h h after mont and an atmospheric along with historic high temperatures mont ly, tell us so. So does the sudden carbon dioxide meter that climbs relentless ic Northwest. This species, which Pacif the in ins dolph appearance of common has never been spotted in our ns, normally ranges through warm tropical ocea or a trend we don’t know, off onea is ing waters before. Whether the sight about the oceans where orcas but it adds to the uneasy feeling we have into the coastal waters of British d move make their homes. Their ancestors ago, after the end of the last Ice Columbia and Alaska around 10,000 years ed, salmon found supportive form Age. As the ice receded and river systems living easy for fish eating made s lation popu vast habitats and thrived. Their , which in turn provided mals mam ‘resident’ orcas and a host of other marine les of the First Nations peop The . orcas ) sient easy sustenance for Bigg’s (tran feast. who moved in to occupy the land joined the of years. It is no longer so. Like Living was easy on our coast for thousands l fuel industry as the main culprit, many others we point our fingers at the fossi nity has to kick its fossil fuel huma and there is much truth to the belief that us hope for the future, and gave mber Dece last habit if it is to survive. Paris Portugal are on the verge and ark indeed there are real signs of change. Denm es, notably solar and sourc able renew from of meeting their energy needs indigenous community of Colville wind. And in Canada’s high Arctic, the tiny ing a hybrid solar-diesel power creat in rs Lake has invested nine million dolla by 40%, with solar supplying plant that reduces its year round energy costs ight sun. midn the all its energy needs during the months of d, change is indee Yes ing. bless a as s The resulting silence come can happen fast it her e, whet happening. The question remains of cours other d myria and orcas enough to ensure a future for crossed. occupants of the oceans. Our fingers are

 Simoom

While we wait for Simoom and her family to return to the Johnstone Strait area for the 2016 summer/autumn season we had the smallest of hints that they may not be too far away. On 11 June, we received news that the C10s were near Port Hardy. The C10s belong to the same clan as Simoom.

This was the first seasonal sighting of the Northern Residents anywhere near this area, so our hearts beat just a little bit faster. Was it going to turn out to be an early start to the season? We have come to expect arrivals to begin after the first week in July and even by mid-July in recent years.

 Bend

ORCA ORIGINALS

You can buy your very own cuddly version of your adopted orca. Each orca toy is handmade to order and features the distinctive markings and dorsal fin of your chosen whale.

Visit orca-originals.co.uk to find out more. Make sure you quote WDC when you place the order and Julie at Orca Originals will donate half of the profit to us to help us continue our work to protect orcas.

This is Corky. Tragically she has spent 45 years in a tank, making her the longest-surviving orca in captivity.

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Last year, Bend’s family were the first Northern Resident orcas to make their way back into the area, arriving mid-July.

A rather delayed start to the season.

This year the Cs (members of A clan just like Bend) have this distinction, arriving a full month earlier on 11 June. But historically, it has been more usual for Bend’s family to establish themselves first. It remains to be seen if the Cs were just making a quick tour to suss out the state of available prey, as they headed back ‘out’ just a day after entering the area.

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Bend’s family, being part of the A1 pod, seem to have a significant role in overseeing the social summer scene.

We have come to expect them arriving close to the beginning of the season, establishing a routine and ushering other groups to and from the area. Bend, as a relatively new mother, is now a mature member of her group and as such will be very aware of the role her family plays in the summer social scene. She will be passing this on to her little one and any future babies she may have in the years to come.

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ALL IMAGES: JARED TOWERS

Then, our new volunteers, Debs and Tom, spotted orcas travelling south fast through Blackney Pass in the early evening. When the whales rounded the ‘corner’ into Johnstone Strait they became vocal and we realised that it was the C6s, close relatives of the C10s. Then came the surprise. As the whales neared Robson Bight we suddenly heard a few A1 (Simoom’s pod) calls. We do not know what to make of this as the next day there was no evidence of any of Simoom’s family being present. But it was very intriguing and left us feeling that eventually we will see and hear Simoom’s family return once again.

 Fife

The recent arrival of the Cs in the Johnstone Strait area on 11 and 12 June may be an indication that the orcas’ favourite prey, the large Chinook salmon, have begun to make their long journey from the open ocean to their natal rivers. This yearly occurrence, called a run, excites whales like Fife who are eager to take advantage of the greater concentration of fish.

As the fish enter the Inside Passage, the whales follow. Fife and his family know where the best areas are to hunt fish and they return to these areas each year. Johnstone Strait is one such place, offering the whales a near-certain feast.

Historically, the Chinook have been an abundant resource for the whales but in recent years their numbers have declined. Coincidently, the number of different orca families visiting the Johnstone Strait area has also declined.

The whales have possibly been

 Holly

The 2016 summer/autumn season is about to get underway in earnest.

Holly’s family had already been seen along the north British Columbia coast several times in the early spring. The north coast is some distance from OrcaLab and it is not unusual for observers there to see the Northern Residents first before they make their way down the coast.

On 3 June, Holly’s family moved far enough south for our colleagues at Cetacealab to see them in the Whale Channel around 8pm. They came right into Taylor Bight, where Cetacealab is based. There was lots of foraging

checking out other haunts. Last year, there was a good return of Chinook but they were smaller than usual. As you may recall, Fife and his family enjoyed a near ‘normal’ summer, feeding and socialising as the number of returning families had increased with the better return of salmon. Already this year there are reports of larger and fairly abundant Chinook. Will the Cs relay this to others? Will they intersect with Fife’s family and will we see them soon? No sooner had we written these words than a report of Fife’s family came from a sighting in the central coast of British Columbia, not far away. They are getting closer.

that indicated the presence of tasty salmon. A good sign!

Holly’s young ones, Current and Cameleon, were off by themselves while the rest stayed close to the Gil Island shoreline. The observers thought they most likely headed north in Squally Channel. Apparently, there were no boats around and Holly’s group offered a wonderfully uninterrupted recording of their calls.

Although it will probably be a month before they reach OrcaLab, such sightings usually indicate that the whales are starting their long trek south along the coast.

FIFE AND HIS FAMILY KNOW WHERE THE BEST AREAS ARE TO HUNT FISH AND THEY RETURN TO THESE AREAS EACH YEAR

Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 31

TEAM ORCA GOES

WALKABOUT

Join Team Orca when it goes walking this autumn. While the summer is coming to an end, there is still time to enjoy some beautiful walks up and down the country.

Or why not take on our Team Orca Autumn Challenge?

50,000 steps for whales and dolphins in two weeks!

Coming for a walk?

Go to whales.org/walkabout or email events@whales.org to find out more

32 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

FACE TO FACE Orcas have inspired storytellers for centuries

BLACKFISH BEGINNINGS

CWR / ROB LOTT

A NOVEL APPROACH Meet Rachel Clark, biologist, science writer and author of The Blackfish Prophecy, a gripping new tale about the bonds between humans and orcas

O

ver the last twenty years, Rachel Clark has worked as a science writer and environmental journalist, highlighting the wonders of nature and raising awareness about the environmental challenges we all face. She has given many of the non-human species she loves a

voice and encouraged people to listen, so that they might learn and help.

Rachel lives in the US with her two young sons and their father.

Her love for wildlife and nature began in childhood and she has always been enchanted by the inherently social nature of whales and dolphins. A chance encounter in her early twenties with the

majestic wild Southern Resident orcas of Puget Sound, in Washington State, increased her curiosity. As she explains: ‘I believe there is a mystical bond between humans and whales.

People love these sentient beings in a deep and profound way.’

Building on her writing and her experiences as a mother, Rachel decided to change tack and pen her first novel for young adults, titled The Blackfish Prophecy. She says: ‘I wanted to write a book for my children, and their generation, and in doing so present information to them that they may not have heard before. The main characters are teenagers, who are inherently idealistic. They want to contribute something to the world and they are growing up in a time of powerful social connectivity.

Teens make perfect protagonists.’

Rachel was inspired to write her story following two key events.

The first was a powerful dream she had where she was with her sons on a shallow pebbly beach in Puget Sound when a female orca slid up next to them to make contact.

‘I had a feeling of great joy,’ she says. ‘I woke up and wrote it all down.’ A few weeks later, she came across a book in the library, Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity by David Kirby.

She felt compelled to read it. ‘It’s shocking and painful to read, as it explores the truth about the dark, hidden and often lethal ramifications of keeping orcas in captivity.

I found it upsetting, but just couldn’t put it down.’

Rachel explains she is delighted with her decision to shift from science writer to storyteller.

‘Writing this book and reaching young people has been a wonderful new experience for me.

I’m already writing the follow-up.

There will be five books altogether in this series.’

The Blackfish Prophecy explores the ancient bond between humans and whales and questions whether orcas belong in captivity. The wild orcas featured are the Southern Resident orca community of the Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 33

FACE TO FACE

WITH PLANNING AND MONEY IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TO RELOCATE ORCAS TO PURPOSEMADE SANCTUARIES IN THE OCEAN AND IN SOME CASES, INDIVIDUALS CAN BE REUNITED WITH THE FAMILIES THEY WERE FORCED TO LEAVE BEHIND IN THE WILD

Book launch in Moscow, Idaho

W DC / RO B LOT T

Pacific Northwest. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, capture teams repeatedly roundedup and trapped wild orcas from this community to sell into the marine parks industry, reducing the wild population by nearly 50%.

Devastatingly, 13 orcas were killed during capture attempts and 45 orcas were taken from their families and shipped to marine parks.

Today only Lolita (Tokitae) is still alive, held in the Miami Seaquarium. The Southern Resident orca community has never been able to recover and is highly endangered, numbering no more than 84 individuals in total. They have never returned to the site of the captures.

Rachel speaking at Edmonds Community College

Southern Resident orcas are the stars of The Blackfish Prophecy

A SPECIAL AFFINITY

The Blackfish Prophecy features three determined and courageous teenagers, Terra, Tiluk and Miles. Terra is the daughter of orca biologists and feels a special affinity with the whales. Tiluk is her best friend whose father is Native American, and he is named after an orca baby his parents witnessed being captured.

Terra and Tiluk have grown up alongside the wild orcas of the Pacific Northwest. Miles on the other hand is a troubled teen living in Florida who connects with the whales after witnessing a captive orca kill his own trainer at a marine amusement park. The trio soon discover they are more linked to each other and the orcas than they ever imagined. Recognising the highly evolved consciousness of the orca, the teens risk all to challenge the captivity industry and renew lost native traditions.

Rachel includes a number of true stories in the book, such as when the baby of an orca named Corky dies in a tank with her mother. In the wild, other orcas in the family pod help the mother and newborn by guiding the baby to the surface to take a first breath before starting to 34 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2016

feed. Alone in the tank, Corky’s inexperience as a mother meant she was unable to nurse properly and the newborn sadly died. Likewise, the book’s disturbing account of an orca killing his trainer was based on the true story of Tilikum. Asked why she fictionalised real events in the book, Rachel responds: ‘It’s only when people are aware of the truth that they can help stop these shocking real events from happening again. And I wanted people to see that it is not only humans that are sentient.’

There is one particularly memorable scene in the book that draws heavily on a true story. The three teens plan something very special for the family of orcas. They link up the orca baby Tiluk, in captivity, with his mother, grandmother and siblings living in the wild, so that they can hear one another. The result is both joyous and heartbreaking.

Orcas are social creatures and so taking an orca away from his or her family and keeping them isolated is possibly the worst thing that can happen to them. The Blackfish Prophecy

makes it plain that, now we know the truth about these incredible creatures – millions of years older than our own species – the right thing to do is to retire all orcas from their suffering in concrete tank prisons.

ORCA SANCTUARIES

With planning and money it is entirely possible to relocate orcas to purpose-made sanctuaries in the ocean and in some cases, individuals can be reunited with the families they were forced to leave behind in the wild.

Change is happening fast and Rachel creates a feeling of hope and optimism for the future in her book. She has confidence in people’s ability to work together and collaborate to change things for the better.

‘There’s a rising tide of empathy,’ she says.

‘This shift in our culture concerning our relationships with the natural world is leading to a more collaborative healing process.’

The Blackfish Prophecy is available to buy at whales.org/shop

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Eagle Ray on cable – £115

Dolphin stud earrings – £30

Fluke Jewellery is made by Roger in his workshop overlooking the beautiful Brough & Bay O’Birsay on the island of Orkney.

One of the things that sets Roger’s jewellery apart is that because of his passion for whales and dolphins, he makes ‘Flukes’ specific to the species.

Humpback Figure Minke Fluke £22 Unisex Humpback Whale Bangle – £85 Handmade Cufflinks £60 Seahorse from £85 There are also many beautiful wildlife pieces, unique sculptures & a popular ‘cowrie shell’ Bottlenose Dolphin Fluke – £29.95 collection believed in Orkney to bring the shell seeker ‘good fortune’.

The view from the gallery overlooks the passage of whales, dolphins etc.

See our ‘Sightings’ page on our website.

Dolphin Fluke £35

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Back Fluke £29

You can buy online or better still

Fluke Jewellery is made by Roger in his workshop overlooking the beautiful phone Roger on: 01856 721343 Brough & Bay O’ Birsay on the island of Orkney. One of the things that sets Roger’s jewellery apart is because of his passion for whales & dolphins, Maybe see you on Orkney one day … he makes ‘Flukes’ specific to the species.

‘Craiglands’, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND The view from the gallery overlooks the passage of whales, dolphins etc. email: roger@flukejewellery.com See our ‘Sightings’ page on our website.

Tideline bracelet with ‘cowrie shell’ —£55

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‘Craiglands’, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND email: roger@flukejewellery.com ‘A man who understands the nature of things...’

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Autumn 2016 WHALE&DOLPHIN 35

Christmas Compilation £10

Dora Dolphin £17.25

An amazing assortment of gifts

A favourite cuddly companion

Grey Skies, Green Waves £9.99

Christmas Cards £3.50

Perfect for the surfer in your life

Send season’s greetings with style

AUTUMN OFFERINGS

It’s time for long walks in the countryside, Halloween, Bonfire Night and the lead up to Christmas. WDC has everything you need for these events and more.

From cosy bodywarmers that keep out the cold to gifts for trick or treaters that won’t harm their teeth, shop with us and help whales and dolphins.

See more gifts online at whales.org/shop

Curved Dolphin Pendant £24

Metal Dolphin Wall Art £16.75

Make waves with this elegant jewellery

Bodywarmer and Beanie £37.50 and £9 Clothing with comfort and class

Decorative design with a twist