Whale and Dolphin Autumn 15

CONSERVATION INSPIRES GLASGOW SCHOOLKIDS

FACE UP TO THE GLOBAL THREAT OF ENTANGLEMENT

WHALE& DOLPHIN Autumn 2015 Issue 71

The magazine of WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

WDC EDITOR Julia Thoms NEWS EDITOR Danny Groves EDITORIAL BOARD Jess Féghali-Brown; 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 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 malcolm@thinkpublishing.co.uk Managing editor Andrew Cattanach Sub-editor Andrew Littlefield Design Dominic Scott Advertising Alison Fraser Publisher John Innes 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: WDC/Andrew Sutton Cover photo: Dr Alberto Romeo

Dear friends

WDC has been campaigning for decades to end dolphin hunts around the world, and now we may be approaching a tipping point in Japan.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) recently gave the Japanese association (JAZA) an ultimatum – stop buying dolphins from drive hunts or lose your membership of WAZA. We are watching closely to see what happens next, as campaigner Courtney S. Vail discusses on page 10.

This follows hot on the heels of the UN International Court of Justice decision that Japan’s so-called ‘scientific’ whaling is illegal. Maybe at last we stand on the brink of the change that we have fought so long to achieve.

We have always worked hard to expose the links between the dolphin hunts and its major backer – the captivity industry – and in this issue we explore with ex-SeaWorld trainer and marine scientist John Jett the reality of life expectancy in captivity. We also celebrate the pioneering work being done in schools to educate the next generation of conservationists.

Sign up to our newsletter at whales.org/ newsletter @WHALES_org

Sri Lankan superpod by Andrew Sutton

Chris Butler-Stroud, WDC chief executive

IN THIS ISSUE 04 News

facebook.com/ whales.org

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Updates from the world of whales and dolphins

10 Black market

Is the end on the horizon for the trade in dolphins captured during barbaric hunts?

16 Gallery

The largest sperm whale superpod in a century

18 Bycatch

We look at the global problem of bycatch – the unintentional capture of marine species and the biggest killer of whales, dolphins and porpoises

22 Face to face

Scottish primary school teacher Lisa Perrie talks about educating the next generation of conservationists

24 Ask the experts How long do orcas really live in captivity?

26 Adoption updates The latest news about your favourite dolphins, humpbacks and orcas

32 Site guide

Bonnie Scotland, where orcas go on holiday Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 3

BREACHING NEWS

SPAIN

BRITISH AIRWAYS SHAREHOLDERS MADE TO FACE FACTS WDC delivers an anti-SeaWorld message at major meeting

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n 18 June, we took our campaign to the shareholders’ meeting of British Airways’ parent organisation, International Airlines Group (IAG), in Madrid. WDC’s Rob Lott attended, accompanied by WDC supporter and change.org petition-starter Kathleen Haase. They delivered our message, in person, to the heart of the company: BA, stop selling trips to SeaWorld.

Thanks to all the WDC supporters who raised the money to get us to Madrid and make our case in front of investors and decision makers. We spoke for the whales and for the 271,000 supporters who signed the petition.

Approximately 200 shareholders attended in person, with many more participating by webcast, to hear Rob and Kathleen ask two questions of the IAG board, which included the organisation’s CEO Willie Walsh and its president Antonio Vázquez Romero.

Our strong message went out to influential board members and shareholders with a combined stake in the company in excess of €1 billion.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Our campaign doesn’t stop there – sign up for news at whales.org/newsletter

A gray whale without a tail fluke has been spotted migrating up the west coast of the USA, heading for feeding grounds in Alaska. The whale appears to have adapted to the loss of his or her tail fluke, and seems able to swim and dive despite the obvious hindrance.

It is thought that he or she had probably become entangled in fishing gear at some point and that this led to the eventual amputation of the whale’s tail fluke. The sighting comes just days after rescuers tried to cut fishing lines off another gray whale in an attempt to save the creature’s life.

CAUGHT IN THE NET

To read more about the devastating impact of entanglement, turn to page 18 4 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

MIKE MYERS/DANA WHARF WHALE WATCHING

TAILLESS GRAY WHALE ADAPTS TO SURVIVE

WDC

USA

ICELAND

HIGH-FLYING FUNDRAISER Whale-loving Icelander Kris Hjalmarsson took the challenge of a lifetime in May. He set out to skydive 10 times in a weekend to raise vital funds for our campaign to stop whaling in Iceland. Kris outdid himself and made no fewer than 14 dizzying jumps in one single weekend, raising a fantastic £3,866. Thank you to everyone who generously helped Kris with a donation or message of support! You can read his story on justgiving.com/KrisWDC

SANNIE BRUM

UK

WELL DONE WALKERS

On Sunday 28 June, we were delighted to welcome hundreds of walkers at Walk for Whales 2015. A very big thank you to all of you who joined us to help protect whales, come rain or shine. Our many fundraising walkers help increase awareness about whaling and bring in thousands of pounds to help us stop the slaughter. Well done to everyone who took part!

UK

2015 CHANGE CHALLENGE WINNER

WDC

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our 2015 Change Challenge. Special congratulations go to the winner, 10-year-old Louise Stewart. Louise has been adopting Rainbow since she was three and in that time has donated a whopping ÂŁ251 through her change box! Your prize is on its way, Louise.

BRAZIL

RECRUITS IN CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT BRAZILIAN RIVER DOLPHINS WDC has recruited Brazilian researcher Sannie Brum to help our campaign to stop the illegal slaughter of river dolphins for use as bait to catch fish.

Sannie has recently returned from her first WDC-funded field trip. She helped us assess how many dolphins are currently living in the 304 square kilometre research area, so that we have a baseline to work from. Sannie counted 651 dolphins (296 botos and 355 tucuxis), giving an average of 214 dolphins per sq km – a pretty good tally, due to the very high level of the water.

She also interviewed 70 fishermen from 39 communities to get their thoughts on our project and to gauge the local attitude to using dolphins as bait.

We have recruited two local fishermen to assist with the surveys. As well as giving us the benefit of their vast knowledge of the area, this will help us to achieve essential community buy-in.

By engaging with local people and working to change attitudes and offer alternatives to killing dolphins, we hope to stop the slaughter and give these communities a sense of pride in protecting the dolphins who share their Amazon home.

SANNIE BRUM

Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 5

BREACHING NEWS

UK

MAP DATA ©2015 GOOGLE

UK ESTABLISHES LARGE MARINE RESERVE IN THE PACIFIC The UK government has announced that it is to establish the largest continuous marine reserve in the world.

Located in the Pacific Ocean around the remote Pitcairn Islands, the protected area will cover 834,000 square kilometres (322,000 square miles). A major threat to the marine environment in the area is illegal fishing, and a satellite watchroom has been set up to monitor activity.

WDC’s Marine Protected Areas lead, Erich Hoyt, welcomed the announcement: ‘This fully protected reserve is good news for the 22 species of whales and dolphins, including blue whales, found in Pitcairn Islands waters.’

JAPAN

JAPANESE WHALE HUNT SHIPS GO HOME EMPTY BUT VOW TO SAIL AGAIN Two Japanese whaling vessels have returned from their voyage without hunting any whales, due to a UN court ban imposed in 2014

KENYA

17M-YEAR-OLD WHALE FOUND …

459 MILES FROM THE SEA Scientists studying the fossil of a beaked whale discovered nearly 500 miles inland in the desert of west Turkana, Kenya, say it is the world’s most precisely dated beaked whale fossil.

No other fossil of a stranded whale has been found so far inland on the African continent.

Scientists believe the creature took a wrong turn before swimming up the ancient Anza river 17 million years ago. The ‘Turkana whale’ looks to have been 22ft (6.7m) long and is believed to be related to two modern species, the Baird’s and Cuvier’s beaked whales.

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ccording to reports in Japan, the two whaling vessels returned to the port in Shimonoseki City empty for the first time since 1987, when Japan started its so-called ‘scientific research’ hunts in the Antarctic.

The International Court of Justice (the highest court of the United Nations) banned the hunts in a ruling last year that criticised them for lacking scientific value. The court decided that the hunts were nothing more than commercial whaling (banned in 1986) masquerading as science and so ordered them to stop.

Harpoons were removed from the vessels and, instead, crews took skin samples from some live whales. Japan’s government has, however, placed itself at the centre of a potential legal and political storm, by saying that it intends to restart scientific whale hunting in the Southern Ocean. This is despite a new

statement by the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the body that regulates whale hunting), saying that Japan has failed to prove a case for the continued slaughter of large numbers of whales for so-called scientific research purposes.

The IWC’s decision was made following lengthy talks in May and June in the USA between Japanese government representatives and scientific experts. During the meetings, Japanese officials tried to convince the IWC Scientific Committee that there is a genuine need for their ‘research’, despite the fact that most of the whales slaughtered end up being sold commercially for their meat.

Japanese officials have stated that they plan to kill 333 minke whales each year until 2027. If they do so they will be in contempt of the UN court ruling, defying and undermining the IWC.

USA

WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS

SEAWORLD TO FACE LAWSUIT FROM ITS OWN VISITORS UK

HELP US NAME RAINBOW’S CALF

Rainbow is a real favourite among the adoption dolphins and we’re all thrilled to see her swimming around with a healthy three-year-old male calf at her side. We need a name for this young dolphin that will match his very active, fun-loving nature.

But remember, his name will also need to suit him when he’s a powerful adult!

Your suggestions must be received by 18 September 2015. Only one name per entry please. Send your entry to: Adopt a dolphin, WDC, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1LJ or email: info@wdcs.org Remember to include your name and address so we can contact you if we choose the name you suggested.

SeaWorld is facing potential legal action from thousands of visitors to its parks over allegations regarding the treatment of orcas held captive in its tanks.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Californian grandmother who took her family to SeaWorld in 2011 along with tens of thousands

of other customers who visit the park. The lawsuit calls on SeaWorld to stop ‘unfair business practices’ and refund customers’ money, claiming that if tens of thousands of consumers had known about how SeaWorld treats orcas in captivity, they would not have bought tickets or memberships.

DOWN

AUSTRALIA

SCIENTIST PROVES THAT BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN WAS SHOT

PRDOLPHIN

UP

The provincial government in Ontario, Canada, has introduced immediate legislation to stop the import of orcas into the province for use by the captivity industry. The new law will also ban the breeding of orcas in captivity. The legislation forms part of changes to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which will also impose stricter standards of care for all marine mammals in captivity.

A necropsy (post-mortem) performed on Graze, a bottlenose dolphin found dead in Adelaide’s Port River last December, has confirmed that she had been shot. WDC’s Dr Mike Bossley said: ‘When we found her body before Christmas it was hard to know why she died, hence the need for a necropsy.’

Graze was first sighted in 1992 by Dr Bossley, who since then has been following her movements along with those of other dolphins in the river. ‘It is clear that despite the implementation of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, these dolphins are still under threat,’ he said.

‘It is important that more resources are put into the sanctuary to improve its effectiveness.’

RUN FOR WHALES AND DOLPHINS AT THE LOCH NESS MARATHON

The Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation (Norges Råfisklag) has stated that Norwegian whalers slaughtered 556 whales this season, compared with 666 as of this time in 2014, and 490 in 2013.

The main whaling season in Norway is now over but eight vessels are said to be still hunting, including two off Bjørnøya and Spitsbergen. The country continues to hunt minke whales under ‘objection’ to the international ban on commercial whaling.

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SEPTEMBER

2015

There’s still time to sign up for the atmospheric Baxters Loch Ness Marathon. If you are ready to take on this classic distance, you’re unlikely to find a more fascinating run location. whales.org/lochness Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 7

BREACHING NEWS

WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS

UK

INTERNATIONAL

GAMERS FOR ORCAS

Computer game initiative Humble Bundle, in partnership with SEGA® and Relic Entertainment™, has announced that its latest deal, offering computer games to the public at a discounted rate, has netted $72,000 for WDC. For a few weeks during the summer, gamers were encouraged to access certain game packages – Humble Bundles – in exchange for a donation. When purchasing a bundle, customers could choose how much they wanted to pay and where their money went. Thankfully, many chose WDC. The money raised will help us enormously with our work to protect orcas in Canada, including the orcas on our adoption programme, and we have donated some of the funds to our partners at OrcaLab to advance their acoustic monitoring.

Since Humble Bundle launched in 2010 the initiative has raised more than $59million through the support of its community for a wide range of charities, providing aid across the world.

MILITARY ACTIVITY LIKELY CAUSE OF FATAL MASS UK WHALE STRANDING

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new government report into the causes of a mass stranding of pilot whales in the Kyle of Durness, Scotland, in July 2011 has revealed that military exercises in the area at the time probably caused the deaths of 20 whales.

During the stranding, WDC staff assisted in a long and difficult rescue effort, resulting in 44 pilot whales successfully returning to the open ocean. Sadly, 20 pilot whales could not be rescued and died. The stranding occurred in an area where military detonations were taking place.

Post-mortems carried out at the scene showed that, with the exception of one whale with a septic shoulder joint that was not debilitating, all had been healthy.

The Royal Navy denied it was to blame for the stranding despite claims that 1,000lb explosives were detonated underwater at around the time of the stranding.

Later, WDC formally requested a full investigation, from which Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has now released the findings. We also requested details from the MoD (Ministry of Defence) of the types of activities that were being conducted in the area at the time, and the size of the detonations.

Noise pollution threatens whales and dolphins, interrupting their normal behaviour and driving them away from areas important to their survival – and in this, and other cases, probably kills.

NEW ZEALAND

GOVERNMENT URGED TO PROTECT CRITICALLY ENDANGERED MAUI DOLPHINS -

8 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

Maui dolphins have never been as abundant as their South Island cousins, the Hector’s dolphin, but their numbers are declining so rapidly experts predict that, unless further measures are taken to protect them, - dolphin will be extinct within the Maui the next 15 years – if not before.

With only 43 to 47 individuals left, and only 10 of these being mature females able to reproduce and add to the gene pool, time is running out.

LATEST UPDATES To see more about our campaign, visit whales.org/saveNZdolphins

WILL RAYMENT/NZ WHALE & DOLPHIN TRUST

New research presented to the latest meeting of the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in San Diego, USA, puts added pressure on the New Zealand government to act immediately to halt the desperate population decline of the critically - dolphin. endangered Maui Maui dolphins are only found around the shallow coastal waters of New Zealand’s North Island, where they are predominantly threatened by entanglement in set gillnets (static fishing gear used widely within an area important to this tiny population of dolphins).

JAPAN

AQUARIA ASSOCIATION VOTES TO STOP TAKING DOLPHINS FROM INFAMOUS TAIJI HUNTS

USA

BARBIE FOLLOWS ONE DIRECTION IN SHUNNING SEAWORLD

British singer Harry Styles has launched an attack on SeaWorld in the company’s own backyard, telling the audience at One Direction’s San Diego concert not to go to SeaWorld dolphin shows

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n the wake of the British singer's denunciation of SeaWorld, another well-known figure has also turned her back on SeaWorld in recent weeks. Toy giant Mattel has announced that it is stopping the production of all SeaWorld-branded merchandise, including SeaWorld Trainer Barbie dolls.

Mattel launched the Trainer Barbie line in 2012, but the company will no longer be selling the toy, due partly to growing unrest over the

treatment of orcas in captivity. Other big-name companies have cut ties with SeaWorld in the wake of the award-winning documentary Blackfish. Southwest Airlines, Virgin America, Panama Jack, STA Travel, Taco Bell and Hyundai have all taken action following widespread public outrage over the park’s marine mammal care. Blackfish is an in-depth look at the treatment of orcas in captivity and documents the death of one of SeaWorld’s trainers in 2010.

GET STUCK IN

Ready, steady … bake!

If you are already hooked on the new series of The Great British Bake Off, then why not join in the fun and bake a difference for whales and dolphins? There are prizes to be won and you can turn your creations into a feast for friends, family and colleagues – and ask for donations to support WDC. Read more at whales.org/bake

The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) has voted in favour of no longer using the Taiji dolphin hunts to supply dolphins for its marine parks. Thirty seven of the organisation’s 153 members hold dolphins captive at their facilities.

The announcement came a month after the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) suspended JAZA’s membership on the grounds that JAZA was in breach of WAZA’s ethical guidelines. If JAZA’s vote had gone the other way, it may have been permanently excluded from WAZA. The decision could have a defining impact on the dolphin hunts as the supply of dolphins to the captivity industry is a major incomegenerator for the fishermen involved in the hunts. JAZA-affiliated aquaria account for just under 70% of those holding dolphins in Japan. Many of these dolphins were sourced from Taiji.

WDC was one of the first to document the connection between the drive hunts and aquaria, and has spent more than a decade engaged in dialogue with WAZA regarding its members’ association with these cruel hunts.

JAZA’s decision to step away from the drive hunts as a source of live dolphins is a big step, and one that will hopefully contribute to bringing an end to the slaughter.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Turn to page 10 and read our Taiji report, where you'll find more details of how to get involved

Or do your own thing

Did you read our story about Kris on page 4? If you want to do something special to help protect whales and dolphins, we’re here to help! There is no need to jump out of aeroplanes (unless you want to) – so, whether you are good at running, cooking or doing handstands, your talent can help raise vital funds to save these amazing creatures.

Email or ring us to discuss your ideas. E: events@whales.org T: 01249 449500 Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 9

CAMPAIGNS

BLACK MARKET Can the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums prevent the trade in Taiji-caught dolphins?

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Dolphins are corralled into the killing cove DIETER HAGMANN’S/ATLANTICBLUE.DE

The slaughter is hidden from view Dolphins from the hunt held captive in Taiji

WDC/COURTNEY S. VAIL

DIETER HAGMANN’S/ATLANTICBLUE.DE

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hale and dolphin captivity is Even before the publication of our campaign a process. It is fed by a cycle report Driven by Demand in 2006, which of supply and demand that revealed the connections between the captivity is motivated just as much industry and the dolphin drive hunts in Japan by corporate profit as it is by and detailed how the demand for live dolphins consumer choice. Most international captive from the aquarium industry serves as an facilities source dolphins from the wild. economic stimulus for the hunts to continue, we The entire process of captivity – from chase, turned our sights and efforts towards engaging capture, transport and subsequent confinement with international zoo and aquaria associations – takes a deadly toll on the to raise awareness and seek action. individuals involved, and the wild Long before global public concern i populations left behind. One of the was activated by the release of The most excruciating examples of this Cove, and through engagement with deadly supply-and-demand chain is organisations such as the World the drive hunt in Taiji, Japan.

Association of Zoos and Aquariums WDC has been at the forefront (WAZA), the Alliance of Marine of efforts to expose the collusion of Mammal Parks and Aquaria international marine theme parks, (Alliance), and the Association of COURTNEY seeking live dolphins to buy, with Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), WDC S. VAIL the deadly hunts in Taiji. The cove was able to secure statements from leads WDC’s where the hunt takes place, made these associations against the drive work to end infamous by the Oscar-winning film hunts, and begin the long process dolphin hunts The Cove, is the scene of an annual of holding association members slaughter and the focus of activists accountable for purchasing dolphins the world over. from these hunts. WDC was the first to call for zoo associations to insist that their members disassociate from the hunts, thereby Corralled and confined working to break this insidious cycle of supply The drive hunts that take place in the cove and demand. from September to April every year involve the That was more than 10 years ago. Since then, herding of large groups of dolphins at sea by WAZA has updated its code of ethics to include fishermen who bang pipes to create walls of loud noises that confuse and disorientate the dolphins. This allows them to be driven to shore, where they are corralled and confined to be later slaughtered or selected alive for a life in a tank. The brutality of these hunts cannot be overstated. Entire families of dolphins and small whales endure extreme suffering as they are chased, separated, killed for their meat or selected alive for a captive facility, never again to experience the gentle rhythms of the sea.

directives to its members against buying dolphins from the hunts. Despite this, some WAZA members continued to do so anyway, wading knee-deep in the bloody waters of the cove to select dolphins for Japanese aquaria or shipment abroad. The worst culprit has been the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA). WDC has funded investigations by Elsa Nature Conservancy in Japan which reveal that approximately 600 dolphins are held captive in Japan, in 54 aquaria. Of these 54 marine theme parks, 37 are JAZA members.

Dolphin management protocol

Instead of getting tough in response to JAZA’s continuing defiance of the code of ethics, WAZA chose to try to negotiate better behaviour by JAZA members through years of concessions with the Japanese association. They developed the ‘dolphin management protocol’ that attempted to reduce the numbers of bottlenose dolphins killed during round-ups for captive facilities. WDC led efforts to expose these concessions and continued to demand more meaningful action, including calling for the expulsion of JAZA from WAZA membership.

In response to years of pressure from WDC and a growing number of other conservation and welfare organisations, on 22 April 2015, WAZA, in a significant development, finally

ENTIRE FAMILIES OF DOLPHINS AND SMALL WHALES ENDURE EXTREME SUFFERING AS THEY ARE CHASED, SEPARATED, KILLED FOR THEIR MEAT OR SELECTED ALIVE FOR A CAPTIVE FACILITY Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 11

CAMPAIGNS

Capture operations are known to cause dolphins great distress

Air China is one of the airlines that carries dolphins captured from the Taiji hunt

WDC

voted to suspend the Japanese association.

JAZA had a 30-day grace period to respond to the suspension, and at the end of May announced that it would no longer allow its members to source live dolphins from the Taiji hunts.

The vast majority of Japanese facilities buying dolphins from the hunts belong to JAZA, but this decision may have a significant impact on the other Japanese aquaria that are not members. Furthermore, we truly hope that this will have a ripple effect on the global aquaria that continue to take dolphins from the drive hunts.

JAZA’s decision to step away from the Taiji hunts is a big step, and one that will hopefully contribute to an end to the slaughter. We must still be concerned, however, with all wild captures, and as long as zoos and aquaria keep the door open for acquisition from the wild, dolphins will suffer.

Exported to China

ELS A NAT URE CON

SER VAN CY

Not all of the demand for dolphins is coming from within Japan. Trade data reveals that more than 40% of all dolphins acquired from the drive hunts are exported.

Even more astonishing is the fact that most of them are being exported to China.

Trade statistics reveal that between 2002 and 2014, a total of 543 dolphins were exported from Japan to 17 countries, with a price tag of around $17 million. China was the number one purchaser, with a total of 342 dolphins bought during this time frame. The purchase of dolphins by China alone 12 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

THE PROBLEM WITH AIRLINES THAT TRANSPORT LIVE WHALES AND DOLPHINS IS THAT THEY SERVE TO SUSTAIN BOTH SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN THE WHOLE CRUEL PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH CAPTIVITY

The glitz of the show hides the cruelty of the hunt was tallied at $12,195,884.93.

This equates to around 71% of the total money made from dolphin exports.

In order to feed the global demand for captive shows, dolphins who are taken from the wild have to be transported by an airline or cargo company. The dolphins captured during the drive hunts in Japan are transported to destinations such as Egypt, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, China and Vietnam by carriers such as Air China, China Post Airlines,

ULS, Nankai Express and Korean Air Cargo, among others.

To combat this export market, WDC has been campaigning to stop airlines transporting live dolphins. We contacted more than 300 airlines worldwide, targeting especially those which carry wild-captured dolphins or have done so in the past. We asked them for a commitment never to transport wild dolphins (except under special circumstances, such as medical emergencies) and to implement policies and procedures prohibiting such transport.

The response has been positive. More than 50 airlines have responded that they do not, or will no longer, transport dolphins captured from the wild for the captivity industry, or from inhumane sources such as the drive hunts.

These airlines include Emirates, KLM, Austrian Airlines, Olympic Air, Thai Airways, Delta Airlines, US Airways, British Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines, among many others. Japan Airlines has confirmed that it no longer carries dolphins acquired from the drive hunts.

Hong Kong Airlines turned around its transport policy in 2011 after WDC, and other organisations, took it to task when it carried dolphins taken from the Taiji hunts to Vietnam.

Significantly, we have not received a response from many of the companies that still carry dolphins from Japan to China, and so now we

APPEAL

HELP US STOP THE DOLPHIN SLAUGHTER EVERY YEAR AS MANY AS 20,000 DOLPHINS AND SMALL WHALES ARE KILLED IN JAPANESE WATERS. THIS HAS TO STOP.

We’re making progress but it’s a long, tough battle.

Please make a donation and help us keep our campaign going. We won’t give up until the killing stops.

We need funds to: ■ Run education initiatives in Japan – change will only come from within and it’s vital that we raise awareness of the hunts and empower Japanese people to act.

■ Meet airlines to persuade

them not to transport dolphins caught in the hunts.

■ Support monitoring activities at the cove in Taiji.

■ Develop the world’s first dolphin sanctuaries.

Thanks to your support, we have made big steps. We’ve persuaded the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums to get tough on those buying dolphins from the hunts and we’ve exposed the brutal methods used to kill the dolphins and the lengths the hunters go to to hide the cruelty. But there is so much more we need to do while the slaughter continues. Sadly, our efforts to end the bloodshed cost money.

Please play your part in ending the horror with a donation of £25, or whatever you can spare. Every single pound will help.

TO DONATE: ■ Use the form on the letter that came with this magazine ■ Give at whales.org/give Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 13

CAMPAIGNS

WDC/MICHELLE GRADY

Aquaria offer a window on to a world of pain

WE WILL CAREFULLY MONITOR THOSE AQUARIA THAT CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLOODY HUNTS AND EXPOSE INTERNATIONAL MARINE THEME PARKS THAT IMPORT DOLPHINS CAUGHT IN THIS UNIMAGINABLY CRUEL WAY

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CHINA CETACEAN ALLIANCE

are concentrating our efforts on them. Our research, as part of the newly formed China Cetacean Alliance, has found 37 facilities holding whales and dolphins in captivity in China, displaying more than 470 individuals.

WDC’s history of targeting the airlines for their role in transporting dolphins is extensive, and goes back to the late 1990s. After two dolphins died during a Lufthansa flight from Russia to Argentina, we campaigned to convince Lufthansa Airlines to stop transporting bottlenose dolphins captured from the Black Sea. Our dialogue with Lufthansa resulted in a corporate policy prohibiting the transport of wild whales and dolphins. In fact, in May 2001, Lufthansa Cargo declared its decision to cease carrying all wild animals for commercial purposes.

That self-imposed embargo is still in place.

The problem with airlines that transport live whales and dolphins is that they serve to sustain both supply and demand in the whole cruel process associated with captivity,

Captive dolphins made to perform at the Aquarium in Laohutan Scenic Park, China having an adverse impact on dolphin welfare and conservation. A significant body of peerreviewed scientific literature exists, detailing the physiological, behavioural, psychological and socioecological impacts that chase, encirclement and capture have on dolphins. The majority of the evidence reveals that acute and chronic stress, as well as death, may result from

prolonged and sustained capture techniques, such as those associated with the drive hunts, but also with other capture operations. That is why we must be concerned with all capture operations seeking to remove dolphins from the wild.

And this brings us back to the choices that each of us make. We can choose to not buy a ticket – a ticket to a show, or an airline ticket. Our patronage and support of airlines that continue to carry whales and dolphins fuels the supply chain of suffering for dolphins worldwide.

We will carefully monitor those aquaria that continue to participate in the bloody hunts, expose international marine theme parks that import dolphins caught in this unimaginably cruel way, and target airlines that facilitate this deadly trade. As we turn our sights towards the prefectural and Taiji town authorities which will continue to regulate and manage the hunts in light of JAZA’s recent decision, we will maintain our outreach in Japan and our dialogue within the zoo and aquarium industry, with the hope of ending these hunts, and all wild captures, once and for all. ■

HOW YOU CAN HELP

To sign our petition visit whales.org/horror For campaign updates @whales_org

TREAT YOURSELF AND THE FAMILY THIS AUTUMN

Children just love these T-shirts! £13.99 A gorgeous silver and gold plated necklace £22.50

Fish design wine glasses £12

Whale and dolphin species print £15.00

All this and more in your free catalogue and at whales.org/shop

Help protect whales and dolphins with a WDC Credit Card By choosing to use the WDC Credit Card, MBNA, the card issuer, will make contributions to us when you use the card for the first time and also every time you use the card – at no extra cost to you. ● £25 when you use your card within 90 days of the account opening ● 25p for every £100 you spend on card purchases ● £2 for each year the account remains open and active

Representative 16.9% APR (variable)

ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT ● NO ANNUAL FEE

To apply, call us on 0800 028 2440 quoting Whale and Dolphin Conservation The WDC Credit Card is issued by MBNA Limited. Registered Office: Stansfield House, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Registered in England and Wales under company number 02783251. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. MBNA Limited is also authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2009, Register Number: 204487 for the provision of payment services. Credit is available, subject to status, only to UK residents aged 18 or over. You cannot transfer balances between MBNA accounts. Calls, online and/or Smartphone sessions (e.g. completing an application) may be monitored and/or recorded for quality evaluation, training purposes and to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 15

GALLERY

MASS MIGRATION During a trip to Sri Lanka, WDC staff members were treated to one of the largest sperm whale sightings on record

I

WE HOPED FOR A FEW WHALES – WHAT WE GOT WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED! WE WATCHED IN AWE AS WAVE AFTER WAVE OF SPERM WHALE PODS APPROACHED FROM THE NORTH 16 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

ANDREW SUTTON ECO2/NICE IMAGES

We watched in awe as wave after wave n March this year, I travelled with of sperm whale pods approached from the my colleague, Rob Lott, to Kalpitiya north, spy-hopping and diving around our in north-west Sri Lanka. We were small vessels, the air heavy with there to run a training workshop the sound of their blows. We for local whale watch operators estimated that more than 350 as part of our Project BLUEprint whales were present. partnership with SriLankan Airlines Back on land we contacted and other ecotourism sponsors.

Professor Hal Whitehead, an Our project works with coastal associate of WDC and the communities to ensure that Sri world’s leading authority on Lanka’s growing whale watch sperm whales. He considered industry does not have any negative VANESSA the encounter ‘extraordinary’ impact on the whales and dolphins WILLIAMS-GREY and bigger than anything he who make their home in the waters leads WDC’s had witnessed. around this beautiful island. During responsible Sperm whales are one of the the workshop, news broke that whale watching largest predators on the planet sperm whales had been seen offshore, programme and our encounter may well and so, the next day, we headed out to have been the largest gathering sea. We hoped for a few whales – of the species in recent decades. what we got was several hundred!

Get in touch

Share your whale and dolphin sightings online @WHALES_org #whales

These stunning images were captured by Andrew Sutton, underwater photographer and friend of WDC, working under a permit issued by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife and Conservation Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 17

Gillnets are set on the bottom of the ocean and are the greatest global WEST AFRICA danger to dolphins and porpoises. The franciscana and vaquita are among the most endangered species SOUTH AMERICA due to gillnetting, while Maui dolphins, only found in New Zealand, are heading towards extinction.

Harbour porpoise (Baltic Sea)

NEW ZEALAND

Atlantic humpback dolphin (W. Africa) Spinner dolphin (West Africa)

Franciscana dolphin (South America)

- dolphin Maui (New Zealand)

Hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins and porpoises die each year from accidental capture in fishing gear. Here we evaluate this enduring global problem. Illustration by Richard Palmer

Fewer than

50

- dolphins are left, Maui largely because of gillnets

B

ycatch is a term which refers to those species that fishermen catch unintentionally, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, sharks, sea birds, turtles and seals. Whales, dolphins and porpoises are often caught in fishing nets or entangled in lines and regularly drown as a consequence. While some escape with only scars as a reminder, others carry the gear with them and die later from their injuries, after a long period of suffering.

Bycatch is not intentional and fishermen are not trying to target whales and dolphins when they fish. Many of us enjoy eating fish and so WDC believes it is important to work with fishermen to sustain healthy fisheries and find ways to stop bycatch.

This threat affects massive numbers of whales, dolphins and porpoises every year and it is time to raise awareness of what a serious global issue it is. Here we examine some of the fishing methods endangering these creatures and look at some of the ways that WDC is working to help prevent these needless deaths and injuries.

BALTIC SEA

450

Only harbour porpoises remain in the Central Baltic due to entanglement in static nets

RICHARDPALMERGRAPHICS.COM

BYCATCH: THE OCEAN’S BIGGEST KILLER

Gillnets

Purse seine Fishing boats use purse seine nets to capture entire schools of tuna.

Dolphins feeding on the same fish can get trapped in the nets and suffocate. Despite public awareness of the problem, purse seine nets are still widely used around the world.

Pelagic trawl

EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN

Pulling a large net through the water behind a boat to catch schooling fish, such as anchovy and herring, pelagic trawls pose a threat to many dolphin and whale species. Dolphins and whales sometimes swim into the nets to feed on the catch and become trapped and drown.

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Pilot whale (Atlantic Ocean) Common dolphin (Atlantic Ocean)

Common dolphin (North Pacific Ocean)

Less than

10%

of entanglements are reported

More than

1,400

harbour porpoises died in UK fishing nets in 2014

Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 19

Driftnets

Driftnets are vast walls of netting suspended near the water’s surface. Despite being banned by the European Union in 2002, they are still used illegally (or through legal loopholes) in the Mediterranean Sea, threatening a vast range of marine life. Like most static nets, these are left unmanned.

Pot/trap/creel MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Used to catch lobsters and crabs on the seabed, this method poses a huge threat to larger whales who get caught in the fishing lines either between the creel pots or from the pots to the sea’s surface. Entangled whales can drag the gear for miles, resulting in fatigue, injury and death.

SCOTLAND

USA

Sperm whale (Mediterranean Sea)

Minke whale (Scotland)

Sperm whales are endangered in the Mediterranean, numbering just a few hundred, and are still dying in illegal driftnets

Driftnets can be up to 50km/30 miles in length

North Atlantic right whale (USA)

50%

of all minke whales who strand along the Scottish coastline show evidence of being entangled in creel lines

83%

of all North Atlantic right whales have been entangled

Ghost nets

Artisanal fishing

Fishing nets that have been abandoned or lost in the ocean, ghost nets continue entangling fish, as well as dolphins and other mammals.

This is a problem in every ocean in the world and affects every species of whale, dolphin and porpoise. Ghost nets pollute the environment.

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

Although operating on a small scale, artisanal fishing is the cause of significant levels of bycatch. It is largely unregulated and threatens species mainly in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

It is difficult to monitor and prevention will require working with local communities.

CHINA, HONG KONG & TAIWAN LAOS & CAMBODIA

Common dolphin (North Pacific Ocean) Sperm whale (Mediterranean Sea)

Indo Pacific humpback dolphin (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan)

Irrawaddy dolphin (Cambodia and Laos)

Fewer than

80

Irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong River

What is WDC doing?

WDC is working with governments and fishermen to find both technical and political solutions to the bycatch problem. The solutions include:

passing whales. We also assisted with development of seasonal fishery closures to protect vulnerable North Atlantic right whale mothers and calves.

Better reporting and monitoring To make sure that the correct measures are put in place, it is important that all bycatch is reported and monitored, that we fully understand the extent of the threat, and that we identify key problem areas.

Working with communities We work to educate communities in areas with bycatch problems, including places where native species are in danger of extinction due to artisanal methods of fishing.

Working with fishermen to develop safer methods Fishermen should be encouraged to develop methods of fishing that eliminate bycatch.

WDC was instrumental in implementation of an American law to lay the fishing line between the pots on the seabed so it is not as accessible to

Encouraging people to eat fish responsibly If you eat fish, please think about where it comes from and ask questions before you buy it!

In future issues, we will tell you more about our global work to reduce bycatch and entanglements of whales, dolphins and porpoises, and how you can get involved.

Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 21

FACE TO FACE

CLASS ACT FOR CONSERVATION

Meet Lisa Perrie, a primary school teacher guiding the dedicated efforts of young dolphin defenders taking the WDC message across the world

‘O

ur motto is ‘small voices carry far’, and for the Sunnyside Ocean Defenders it’s onwards and upwards,’ says Lisa Perrie, as she sums up what has been a great experience for her and an inspirational group of young people making a big splash in whale and dolphin conservation circles.

Lisa is a teacher at Sunnyside Primary School in Glasgow and those voices belong to her Primary 7/6 class. Over the past year, these 11 and 12-year-olds have become impassioned advocates for the protection of dolphins at home and abroad, reaching out to audiences everywhere, from Scottish government top brass, to the mayor of Taiji in Japan, and of course, to us at WDC. Dubbing themselves Sunnyside Ocean Defenders, they are at the head of what Lisa calls a ‘school of conservation’, and an educational approach that brings ecological matters into every aspect of the curriculum.

The plight of dolphins was a subject that

22 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

immediately captured the imaginations of Lisa’s pupils. ‘Filling them with the wonder of how magnificent these creatures actually are was the easiest part,’ she explains.

‘We started with what knowledge the children had and we then went on an investigative journey to discover that dolphins also include orcas and pilot whales, and don’t all look like bottlenoses. We shared our own experiences and many of the children had seen dolphins in captivity and visited dolphinaria, myself included.’

A crucial moment for the class came when they watched My Friend Is…, a video inspired by the documentary The Cove, featuring stars from film, TV and music coming together to help save Japan’s dolphins.

Lisa says, ‘I suppose it was a bold move to show it, but if you’re not bold in terms of conservation you’re not going to make any progress. We had a choice of are we going to do something about it, or just ignore it? Of course the resounding cry was let’s do something.

Watch online

See the film My Friend Is... at bit.ly/myfriendis

‘Don’t look away’ is a phrase we’ve used a lot this year and I wanted to give them a real chance to make an impact and a difference. We found the WDC website really helpful and one of the first things I checked was that WDC weren’t shying away from the dolphin drives in Taiji. The more open support for this that is out there, the easier it is for teachers to justify bringing it into the classroom.’

After learning about the terrible fate of dolphins in Taiji and about the lives of dolphins held in captivity, the children were compelled to act on their behalf and began sending letters to representatives on all sides of the debate.

‘Their first messages were all letters of support to organisations like WDC to say thank you very much, and this is what we’re trying to do’, says Lisa.

‘They then became very probing and on their own initiative wrote to organisations like

PETER SANDGROUND

WE STARTED WITH WHAT KNOWLEDGE THE CHILDREN HAD AND WE THEN WENT ON AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNEY TO DISCOVER THAT DOLPHINS ALSO INCLUDE ORCAS AND PILOT WHALES

Miami Seaquarium, SeaWorld and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Although they might not get letters back, it’s still a valuable learning experience for them.

‘Another important factor is that we’re allowed to use social media. It’s been fantastic, not only in putting ourselves out there as a school of conservation, but also for engaging with others. We’ve also been very careful not to pick on any particular company or country and not to rest on our laurels, and learn about our own shortcomings in Scotland as well.’

It’s at home, in Scotland, where Sunnyside Ocean Defenders are arguably making their presence felt most. Earlier in June their artwork and conservation message was included in a key Scottish government consultation on marine protected areas. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment Richard Lochhead paid tribute to the Sunnysiders’ desire to ‘see more whales, dolphins and fish swimming free’.

Throughout the year, each of the five groups in the class has also become proud adopters of dolphins in the Moray Firth through WDC’s adopt a dophin programme, and initiated projects such as an exciting collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, animating a musical piece about whales and dolphins and the hunts that fuel the captivity industry.

From creating art and music, to writing emotive campaign letters, and using maths to examine life for captive dolphins, every Sunnyside school day can have a dolphin slant to it.

Lisa says, ‘The school management and parents have been very supportive. They saw there was education in this, that the children were actually learning, that they were developing a whole range of skills to investigate, to ask questions and to communicate in real-life situations.’

She adds, ‘One family we know that went to SeaWorld every year have vowed to never go again. They just see it in a different light now.’

The senior pupils among the inaugural Sunnyside Ocean Defenders have left to begin secondary school, but successive classes will be picking up the baton and carrying the campaign forward for dolphins and, from next year, whales. Plans are under way to host special Dolphin Days, featuring lessons created by the children, which will spread the word to other pupils and hopefully many schools in the area.

Looking to the future for Sunnyside Ocean Defenders, Lisa is very optimistic.

‘They have big ambitions and the childlike sense that anything is possible. I think some organisations are quite taken aback at how knowledgeable and insightful the children can be. They don’t buy any lame excuses and are a powerful wee machine.’

Get in touch with Sunnyside Ocean Defenders on Twitter @SunnysidePri ■ Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 23

HOW LONG DO A CAPTIVE ORCAS REALLY LIVE? Researcher, ex-SeaWorld employee and star of Blackfish John Jett reveals the facts of mortality in aquaria

24 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

fter completing my undergraduate degree I became more and more interested in working with whales and dolphins. But rather than wanting to train them, as many young people choose to do, my interests were mostly in research. I felt lucky to eventually secure a job working with orcas at SeaWorld, where cutting-edge whale research was being conducted by world-class whale researchers.

I was going to become a whale researcher!

Or so I thought.

Despite what I had been programmed to believe, as an orca trainer I had no access to research at Shamu Stadium, primarily because so little research was conducted during my tenure. Although my research interests were put on hold, I quickly developed an awareness that the whales I cared for faced myriad

ASK THE EXPERTS

SHUTTERSTOCK

WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS OF OUR STUDY ARE COMPLEX, THE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT ORCAS LIVE SHORTER LIVES IN CAPTIVITY

challenges, which seemed to include early death. My observations were shared by other trainers I worked with, including long-time friend and colleague, Dr Jeffrey Ventre.

Since then, Dr Ventre and I have worked to lend insight, objectivity and evidence to the orca captivity debate. Our unique observations as orca trainers have helped to shape and inform our research interests.

As a trainer in the 1990s I was often confronted with questions from SeaWorld visitors concerned about the health and wellbeing of the captive whales I cared for.

One common question I found particularly interesting was whether captive whales lived as long as their wild counterparts. While we were well coached in the art of providing ‘proper’ answers to such questions, I suspected that reality might diverge somewhat from my

between captive and wild orcas. In the wild, script, but I hadn’t the statistical or research very few orcas die between the ages of ability to dissect this important issue.

10½ and 14½; but our research shows Fast forward to the present study in which a much higher proportion of captive-born Dr Ventre and I model the life data compiled whales dying in this age range. Advancing into by both the Marine Mammal Inventory Report physical and sexual maturity in the captive and The Orca Project to better understand environment represents unique challenges to survival among captive orcas over the captive-born whales, perhaps related to the 50 plus years they have been held captive. common practice of separating mothers from Using established, recognised scientific their offspring. methodologies, we evaluated 201 orcas held in In general, while our study demonstrates marine parks worldwide. While the individual that survival among captive whales has results of our study are complex, the evidence improved somewhat since 1985, survival demonstrates that orcas live shorter lives in between captive and wild orcas remains captivity. Remarkably, half of the individuals considerably different. Susan Cozier of Hakai we evaluated had died by their sixth year in Magazine recently interviewed both myself captivity. Regulations and minimum standards and SeaWorld’s Todd Robeck about our of care for captive whales are highly variable or findings. Robeck amusingly nonexistent in some countries, and replied, ‘I know there’s a fairly we found that median survival (the i large anticaptivity sentiment in a point at which 50% of the whales are lot of the members of the [Society dead) for whales held in US theme for Marine Mammalogy], which is parks (12 years) was considerably fine, but I didn’t think it would higher than for whales held in spill over into science.’ foreign facilities (4.4 years).

Dr Ventre and I have made our We factored in the age of each views on orca captivity known, orca upon entering captivity, yet JOHN JETT survival to important age milestones is a visiting research and it’s no secret that we both feel strongly that whales don’t belong is remarkably poor. For example, professor at in tanks. Our direct experience among wild killer whales it is known Stetson University that approximately 80% of females in DeLand, Florida, working as whale trainers and survive to 15 years and 75% to 40 and an ex-SeaWorld our subsequent work examining the evidence has helped us to years of age. Shockingly, among trainer formulate our sentiments. the deceased captive females we Despite our feelings toward evaluated, only 27% survived to 15 captivity, our dedication to objective evaluation years and none lived to 40 years or longer. of the evidence has underpinned our work. In Among females still alive, only two (7%) the case of orca captivity, the objective science have lived 40 years or longer.

In addition, the survival curves we generated speaks for itself and exaggeration or embellishment just isn’t necessary. ■ further portray how survival patterns differ Autumn 2015 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

ALL IMAGES: WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS

DOLPHIN DIARIES Brought to you by Charlie Phillips

going by the You wouldn’t really know it if you were just er has summ but weather here in north-east Scotland, a bit still is run on salm atory migr actually arrived. The ins’ sake there dolph the for kfully than but nt siste patchy and incon menu out at sea to keep are other good oil-rich fishy items on the ntial for dolphin mums esse are fish e Thes body and soul together. on s their rich, thick milk. I who are still feeding last season’s babie treated to some boat trips be to tly recen have been very fortunate s to try to track down out of Cromarty with lovely WDC supporter le. My sightings of the hwhi wort really some dolphins and it has been ock Channel have Kess the and onry Chan nd arou adoption dolphins and looking in top for d unte been great so far this year, with all acco water to see the on out time extra little a form. I can always use the Inner Firth into come who is about, as not all the dolphins that North Kessock. as far as re ventu or onry area come down past Chan ies rent spec of whale and Since the start of the season, many diffe all over the Moray Firth. from in ng dolphin have been spotted comi magnificent seal-hunting The adoption dolphins of course, but also Scottish Dolphin Centre), our orcas (only a few kilometres away from zing close encounter ama an had (I es whal e humpback whales, mink es), common whal away out to sea with one of these beautiful tally of hy healt a Quite . oises dolphins and harbour porp here in up it, t abou think you when for out look species to chilly old Scotland.

To receive your monthly email dolphin update send your supporter number to info@whales.org

Spirit I have seen Spirit and her 2014 baby quite a few times in the Chanonry Narrows over the past while. Looking back at my records, maybe I have seen her a little bit more than last year or the year before, which is great. She never seems to be that far away so I can get a good look at her and take some landbased photos of her, too. Her lovely baby is spending more time away from Spirit’s side, playing with other wee ones, but always under the watchful eye of one of the mums doing ‘crèche duty’ for half an hour or so – this social fine detail is absolutely wonderful to watch. As usual, if I get out on a boat around Cromarty, I find Spirit and her group quite quickly. I’m expecting to see her maybe paying Kesslet a visit down in the Kessock Channel fairly soon and I’ll let our Dolphin and Seal Centre staff know the minute I spot her.

Kesslet Kesslet has been quite active over a fairly wide area. She is turning up at Chanonry Point and making the occasional appearance in the Cromarty Firth. Being an ‘urban’ dolphin she also goes into the harbour at Inverness, catching salmon as they find their way through the harbour up the River Ness. If there are no salmon migrating then she is quickly out and about in the Kessock Channel, looking for fish going towards the River Beauly. She is often in the company of her son, Charlie, and big Scoopy pops by now and again as well. I expect over the next few weeks that more dolphins will start to arrive here to keep her company. Visitors and locals alike can enjoy the sights and sounds from our Dolphin and Seal Centre, 20 years old this season.

Follow Charlie’s blog at whales.org/adoptadolphinblog

Chris Butler-Stroud, WDCS chief executive

26 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

On Twitter @adoptadolphin

Moonlight Moonlight and her baby are often in the same social group as Spirit and her little one. She even did a bit of joint babysitting with Spirit recently when they were over near Fort George. Each took turns to look after both youngsters while the other went off hunting salmon for a while – a much easier task as a busy mum when you don’t have a baby to worry about, and you can maximise your chances of success. This is vital at this time of year to keep the baby’s milk supply plentiful and healthy. Moonlight is usually one of the first dolphins to turn up at Chanonry on a rising tide, often alongside Zephyr and Bonnie, and is deadly accurate at attacking salmon and looking so good while she does it, too. I have come across the group a few times while out at sea. They are always on the move, both for social reasons and also to find some snacks until the next run of salmon comes in from the open sea.

Mischief Mischief has been in the Chanonry area this month a little more often than Sundance, his big buddy.

I have seen him a few times on his own or with another slightly younger male prowling up and down the Chanonry Narrows. He more often than not sits out in the very deepest water until a big fish runs towards him, then all of a sudden there is water spray everywhere as this huge dolphin turns predator and within a split second it’s all over. Lunch is served. I had Mischief right beside

me while I was out on the EcoVentures boat at Cromarty recently. He was very near the shoreline and was swimming in the shadow of the big south cliff near the entrance to the Cromarty Firth.

The water was a beautiful emerald green colour... a wonderful sight. Mischief also came bombing past me at Chanonry Point recently, heading out to sea. He was on a real mission and rapidly disappeared into the wide blue yonder to keep some appointment or other. What a guy.

Sundance

Rainbow Rainbow has been around a few times a week at Chanonry Point. She sometimes sits out alongside her three-year-old youngster (who I have identified recently as another boy – a brother for Prism and Raindrop) waiting for fish to arrive on the rising tide. I have also, as in years gone by, come across them both up in the Cromarty Firth, patrolling around the deep waters in the company of other dolphins like Mischief and Sundance and dolphin mums with bigger offspring like Chewbacca and her daughter Kenobi, or Tall Fin and her daughter Doyle. They are both looking good, with Rainbow’s young son being very socially active, breaching around a lot and also catching nice small fish for himself – well taught by his expert mother. Rainbow has picked up a slight abrasion to the upper right side of her dorsal fin but this light scuff mark will soon darken down. Remember you have the chance to choose a name for Rainbow’s young son – for more information go to page 7.

Sundance is a busy lad at this time of year, so it was no surprise when I came across him with a large mixed group of dolphins up beyond the Cromarty Firth. I was treated to a very close-up sighting – he’s more scratched than ever and has been packing on the pounds. Unusually for him at this time of year, he wasn’t sticking like glue to the side of a lovely girl dolphin but instead was being one of the ‘lads’. Sundance surrounded himself with slightly younger males who were mucking about, biting one another’s tails and generally acting like human teenage boys. It is both funny and fascinating to observe this very fine-scale social bonding behaviour really closely.

THEY ARE BOTH LOOKING GOOD, WITH RAINBOW’S YOUNG SON BEING VERY SOCIALLY ACTIVE Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 27

ADOPTION UPDATES

HUMPBACK HEADLINES Brought to you by Regina Asmutis-Silvia

under way The summer whale watch season is well pbacks hum e Main of Gulf 250 to close dy and alrea s and mum new are whom have been identified, 42 of have calves in tow. with excitement and When a new sighting is reported it is met Her last was three her? with calf a chatter such as – ‘Did she have scar started to fade?’ eller prop that Has look? he did ‘How years ago!’ or whale research! than ion reun ly Sometimes, it feels more like a fami for joy. e caus are ings sight new the of all Unfortunately, not h of deat the you with It is with much sadness that I share ed three rienc expe dy alrea had but 11, only Spinnaker. Spinnaker was . freed lly essfu succ entanglements from which she had been only two years old and The first incident happened when she was spotted off the coast was she when , 2014 in rred the second occu , in both cases kfully Than of Maine caught up in fishing gear.

Whale Rescue Team llo pobe Cam the from s disentanglement team her. She was free to and Center for Coastal Studies were able this past May, time third a for gear from spotted again and freed d. injure Her body was but it was clear that this event had left her later. th mon a t found in Bar Harbor, Maine, abou ’s commitment to finding a WDC ight highl to story this I’m telling you fishermen to make a living ing allow solution to this problem – a solution in their home without swim to es whal ing allow also at their trade while is a major programme This ent. the risk of death or injury from entanglem to fund our work on help ters adop k pbac hum for us at WDC and all our this issue. and new calves for you in the I’ll have the final tally of whales spotted you sign up to our winter issue. In the meantime, make sure for the latest on g es.or monthly e-newsletter at info@whal the area. visit who rs othe and k your adopted humpbac

Pepper We are still waiting with bated breath for the return of the beloved Pepper and to see if she has a calf with her. Pepper is at least 39 years old and her last known calf was born in 2011. Although Pepper hasn’t been spotted, two of her offspring have!

Eight-year-old Striation was sighted, as was 15-year-old Habanero, who has been seen with her third calf, Pepper’s third grand-calf! While females can start having calves as young as

ERIN PERNEL L

Striation, Pepper’s eight-year-old calf

To receive your monthly email humpback update send your supporter number to info@whales.org

Get humpback news at facebook.com/whales.org

Chris Butler-Stroud, WDCS chief executive

28 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

five, most wait until they are a bit older to take on the challenges of motherhood. Scientists hypothesise that ecological conditions are among the most important variables with an impact on when females enter motherhood.

Whales who are well nourished for several consecutive years and have enough mass are physically better prepared for the rigours that pregnancy and nursing place on their bodies, or ‘the cost of reproduction’, as mums lose nearly a third of their bodyweight when they are nursing!

On Twitter @WHALES_org

THE NAME MUST REFLECT A MARK OR PATTERN ON THEIR FLUKE OR, LESS FREQUENTLY, MARKS ELSEWHERE ON THEIR BODY

Midnight Midnight is at least 37 years old and consistently returns to the Gulf of Maine to feed each summer. Our friends at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown first saw Midnight on 1 August last year.

WDC saw her on five consecutive days, the last of which was 13 October. We know that Midnight has ventured further north to Canadian waters to eat in the past, but this year she was spotted much earlier, on 15 April, and by WDC on 10 July. None of Midnight’s offspring has been seen yet, but at the time of printing, the height of the whale watching season had just begun.

Early autumn is a beautiful time to go whale watching as the ocean waters are still warm and the whales are still actively feeding before they make the long trip back to their warmer winter breeding grounds.

Reflection Reflection is at least 23 and has had four known calves. We have seen Reflection this season as well as two of her calves, Buzzard and her 2014 unnamed calf.

You may remember that naming newly identified humpbacks is up to the experts.

The name must reflect a mark or pattern on their fluke or, less frequently, marks elsewhere on their body, and must not be gender specific.

Reflection’s calf from last year may be graced with a name soon.

Do you recall how many times we know Reflection has been entangled? Five times.

Yes, five! She is one lucky whale. There is current data that indicates juvenile whales (like poor Spinnaker) have a higher probability of getting entangled. We hope that as Reflection gets older and wiser her luck continues to hold.

JEREMY BELKNAP

Salt As Salt has such a large group of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren raised in the Gulf of Maine, we are bound to see several of them each season. This season is no different. Salt was spotted on 19 April this year and several of her offspring have been seen as well. Five-year-old Zelle, seven-year-old Sanchal and 15-year-old Mostaza have been spotted, as well as both of Mostaza’s children (Salt’s grandchildren), Migration and Mostaza’s 2014 calf (who may receive a name this year).

One of Salt’s grandchildren has been seen; 17-year-old Etch-a-Sketch. Etch-a-Sketch had a calf last year, giving Salt her first great-grand calf.

Salt, we congratulate you and welcome the newest member of your family!

Salt’s grand-calf – Mostaza’s 2014 baby Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 29

DANICA WARNS

Reflection’s 2014 calf

KATE MCPHERSON

EARLY AUTUMN IS A BEAUTIFUL TIME TO GO WHALE WATCHING AS THE OCEAN WATERS ARE STILL WARM AND THE WHALES ARE STILL ACTIVELY FEEDING

ADOPTION UPDATES

Brought to you by Helena Symonds & Paul Spong a mantra ‘Shell no! Shell no!’ This was repeated like as Shell west North ic in the communities of the Pacif following May, in n bega n Ocea c Arcti the Oil’s assault on oil for drill to plan of its President Obama’s ‘conditional’ approval ibben, McK Bill . swift was tion reac The under the seabed of the Arctic. now and c Arcti d melt the co-founder of 350.org, stated, ‘Shell helpe Obama the that f belie ars begg it rs; they want to drill in the thawing wate greatest acts the of one to nts amou what abet to g administration is willin t’s history. Arctic oil, like of corporate irresponsibility in the plane need to leave underground we on carb of tar sands, is exactly the sort ing catastrophe.’ if we’re going to have any chance of avoid kers surrounded the oil rig kaya of fleet On the waters near Seattle, a to Arctic waters with the aim Shell was preparing to head northwards carrying equipment including e, of drilling this summer. A support barg deal with inevitable spills to ned desig wer a gigantic sci-fi flamethro t wells, then began its long by burning off oil spewing from blown-ou sy, one that emerged from the fanta r shee is journey north. The concept waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Deepwater Horizon disaster in the warm e thick ice still forms after a wher c, An equivalent incident in the Arcti ained. It would spell the end brief summer interlude, could never be cont that depend on it. lives an for much Arctic marine life and the hum gh the Inside Passage throu ey journ rig’s the ed At OrcaLab, we track gh throu Blackney Pass, hoping and streamed video of it live as it passed imminent the of s enes to contribute to growing awar people around of ns millio for d foun be must danger. A way convince and ity, the world to stand against this insan able for all. toler is that e futur a t abou politicians to bring

CETACEALAB

ORCA ODYSSEYS

CETACEALAB

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

To receive your monthly email orca update send your supporter number to info@whales.org 30 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

Bend It was so exciting to see Bend return, with her baby alongside, on 15 July.

She is always such a standout with her distinctive fin and, since 2013, her little one next to her. In the early days, Bend’s great-grandmother, Nicola, was the centre of so much of the summer orca scene. The family has had a strong presence ever since. Nicola herself had a very distinctive fin with a deep notch at the top. It was so easily identifiable that it offered encouragement to the idea that individuals were present in the same family groups each year.

From this, researchers assigned pod affiliations to these groups. It became obvious that an individual mother and her direct descendants formed

Get orca news at facebook.com/whales.org

their own special group within a pod.

These smaller family groups became known as matrilines. At first, Nicola’s matriline was known as the A2s (after Nicola’s alphanumerical badge) and it was one of three matrilines of the A1 pod. After she died in 1989 the group became known as the A30s, named after her daughter. It wasn’t long before it was understood that within a matriline, acoustic traditions were passed on through the mother to her offspring. This heritage provides each family with continuity and stability over time.

Even though Bend’s mother, Clio, knew Nicola only briefly, and Bend never met her, Nicola’s voice lives on, echoed in the calls she passed on to the younger generations.

On Twitter @WHALES_org

Simoom With all the challenges facing wildlife these days, a new threat is on the horizon for Simoom’s northern resident community. Scientists have dubbed it ‘The Blob’ – a mass of too warm water circulating in the Gulf of Alaska that threatens to push water temperatures up by as much as three degrees. Salmon, on which Simoom and her family rely, are very vulnerable to even slight changes in temperature. Chinook salmon, Simoom’s preferred prey, may spend as long as eight years in the ocean, in the very area affected by The Blob, before returning to their inner-coast natal rivers to spawn. If The Blob fails to dissipate, conditions in the ocean will become impossible for the salmon to adequately survive. Simoom and her family, following ancient routines and habits, are probably unaware of this looming threat, as cool waters still persist in a narrow band along the inner coast.

Indeed, Simoom was already seen on the north coast of British Columbia in early June. She and her family look well and were in company with Holly’s group, a favoured association which has persisted for years. Hopefully, this year, Simoom will again bring her family south into the Johnstone Strait area and fingers crossed that everything will go well for the entire season.

Holly and her family were sighted in early June off the north coast of British Columbia.

She may already be making the long journey down the coast toward the Johnstone Strait area. Recently, while watching from the upper deck on the ‘Gikumi’, a beautiful old local wooden vessel, two large Chinook salmon swam past in the clear, calm waters. One could easily imagine one of Holly’s family, if not Holly herself, pursuing this tasty bite. In open waters individuals chase after the fish with telltale signs of increased speed, quick sharp changes in position, and splashes. Close to shore orcas often trap the big fish along a rock wall. We have even seen orcas chase salmon into shallows or pin them to the ocean floor. But misses occur. One can only imagine an orca’s frustration, but it may explain in part why they often share their prizes with each other. With all the concern for the survival of Chinook salmon recently, we hope that when Holly does return for another season she will find the larder full.

CETACEALAB

Holly

Fife

JARED TOWERS

This spring our colleagues at CetaceaLab saw Fife’s group. Spring sightings along the north coast of British Columbia are expected. The Johnstone Strait season typically happens later in summer, either by the end of June or early July. This difference in arrival times most likely occurs in response to the habit of Chinook salmon that first return to natal rivers further north. As the season progresses, additional Chinook arrive on the inner coast from various ocean starting points and make their way to other rivers along the coast. It is one of the most amazing life cycles and the orcas take advantage of this yearly event in order to survive. Like many of us, CetaceaLab has a strong attachment to the orcas, and in particular groups like Fife’s family. They are keenly aware that Fife

is the captive Corky’s brother, and it’s impossible not to contrast her sad story of confinement with Fife’s life of freedom and fulfilment. Recently, however, CetaceaLab has had a new reason to connect with Fife’s family. Its old dog Neekas died last year, shortly after Fife’s group passed by – so that orca visit would have been close to the last thing of which she’d been aware. The lab is lobbying for Fife’s sister’s newest baby (A109) to be named after Neekas. The name would fit well with the geographical protocols set up for naming babies. Babies are named after coastal places in the vicinity of the mother’s given moniker. ‘Neekas’ is the name of an inlet on the central coast. So the lovely dog who was named after an inlet and grew up with whales may live on in the name of a little orca. Fitting, don’t you think?

Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 31

SITE GUIDE

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS Tracking down orcas in the beautiful wilds of Scotland

COLIN BIRD

Seabirds such as the fulmar were Rob’s constant companions during his orca watch

WDC/ROB LOTT

32 WHALE&DOLPHIN Autumn 2015

WDC/ROB LOTT

I

t was a surprise to many people that I had we were at the start or the end of Great Britain, never achieved my long-held ambition to as John O’Groats marks the beginning or the see wild orcas in my own backyard off conclusion of the longest distance it is possible the UK coast. to travel in the UK, with Land’s End in Cornwall Away from home turf I had been very being the other – a mere 876 miles away. fortunate: witnessing orcas intentionally beach A little forward planning can go a long way themselves in Patagonia, cruise the ice floes of and, after consulting tide tables and previous Antarctica and work a herring-bait ball in years’ sightings, Colin had chosen the last Norway had all been highlights of week of May for our orca stakeout. i my ‘wild’ life.

A few days prior to our arrival I had come close a few times in the BBC’s Springwatch team had the UK, too. Once, arriving late been in town and managed to in the evening, to St David’s in capture some excellent footage Pembrokeshire, a friend told me of orcas swimming by from the that their boat was currently out moment they arrived on scene. with orcas just a mile offshore.

ROB LOTT leads our We were eager to see what this Sadly, on that occasion it was not campaigns to keep stunning coastline had in store meant to be, as just as the light was orcas safe and free for us over the coming days. rapidly fading, so too were my hopes Each morning, after caffeine of getting out on the water. fortification, our routine was to walk to Fast forward a few years and it was with the lighthouse at Duncansby Head which renewed resolve that I accepted an invitation afforded us spectacular views out across the to join Sea Watch Foundation’s regional Pentland Firth towards Scapa Flow and the coordinator, Colin Bird, in Caithness, Orkney Islands.

Scotland, for the annual Orca Watch week.

At this latitude, and at this time of year, Accompanied by colleagues from WDC’s it really doesn’t get dark so we were able Shorewatch programme we set out on our road to maximise our daylight hours searching trip, travelling north, way north, until the road for fins and feathers. During our first few ran out as we reached our base for the week – days scanning we were rewarded with John O’Groats. Depending on your perspective good sightings of minke whales and harbour

porpoises, as well as a curious humpback whale who took us all by surprise by breaching just a few hundred metres off shore!

Our constant companions on the water and in the air were the fulmars, gannets, puffins and razorbills which are all so evocative of Celtic seas.

WANT TO HELP?

SPOTTING AROUND SCOTLAND

SIGHTINGS KEY

Shetland Islands

Get trained to be a WDC Shorewatcher and monitor whales and dolphins at sites around the Scottish coast.

Email shorewatch@whales.org or visit whales.org/shorewatch

MINKE WHALE Spotted all round the coast from June through to October

ATLANTIC OCEAN

ORCA

Seen seasonally throughout the western and northern isles

Orkney

Outer Hebrides

LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALE Found in deep waters off the continental shelf

NORTH SEA 2

RISSO’S DOLPHIN

Spotted year round in the northern isles

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN

I

Seen close to shore throughout the year in the inner Moray Firth

WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN The most common dolphin in northern coastal waters

ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN A deep-water species living mainly offshore in large numbers

SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN The Scottish coast is one of the best places for landbased whale and dolphin watching in Europe – so get out there for a close encounter!

FIND US

WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, Spey Bay 2 WDC Dolphin and Seal Centre, North Kessock I

@dolphinsighting

Normally seen offshore where entire pods will bow ride large ships

HARBOUR PORPOISE

Common and widespread in nearshore waters

Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 33

SITE GUIDE

Passing orcas thrill Rob and the team

FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT HIGH ON THE CLIFF WE WATCHED, MESMERISED, AS A FURTHER SIX OR SEVEN WHALES FILED PAST

From our vantage point high on the cliff we watched, mesmerised, as a further six or seven whales filed past just beneath us.

The orcas who frequent the Caithness coast at this time of year are thought to be a part of the Icelandic herring-eating population. Their presence in Scotland coincides with the common (or harbour) seal pupping season which raises the question that they may be seasonally switching prey and cruising this area in search of baby seals.

In the evenings, when we weren’t scanning the firth, WDC delivered an ‘Orca Evening’ in the main town of Thurso, as well as several Shorewatch training events for those wanting to get more involved in local conservation.

April to July appears to be the best time to see these majestic creatures, and in the two months prior to our visit orcas had been spotted on no fewer than 21 occasions, with healthy sightings of humpback whales, minke whales, Risso’s dolphins and harbour porpoises too.

Since we left this beautiful part of the country sightings have continued to be reported in the Firth of Forth, and at Fraserburgh and Buckie in the Moray Firth. Could these nomadic predators be establishing a new territory or are these just opportunistic forays?

Only time will tell.

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COLIN BIRD

One evening just as we were returning to base camp we had two reports of orcas – one from the Shetlands in the north, where six whales had been seen, and one from Wick to the south, where a local man had spotted seven to 10 whales swim by. Wick was only 16 miles away so we set out ‘down the road’, but even though we had several further reports that night we failed to catch up with them. Such are the trials and tribulations of a seasoned orca watcher, although it was good to know they were in the neighbourhood at least.

Usually, when the whales head south along the coast they quite often, at some point, turn around and head back north. Clinging to this shaky theory we returned to the lighthouse the following morning and, sure enough, were met with reports that orcas had been sighted in Sinclair Bay just to the south of us and were coming our way.

By now, quite a crowd of eager ramblers, bird watchers and sea watchers had gathered on the headland as the news spread. Tucked in very close to the beach just east of John O’Groats were the outriders – two males and a female – making for the harbour and giving some unsuspecting tourists posing next to the famous signpost an unexpected thrill!

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Autumn 2015 WHALE&DOLPHIN 35