Canada has made it illegal to catch and hold whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity. On June 10, Canada’s House of Commons passed Bill S-203, or the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, banning the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity in the country. The new legislation also prohibits the trade, breeding and […]
Tag: Killer Whale
Petition: Take Action to Save Endangered Orcas
Conservationists are applauding Canada for announcing it will be taking some important steps towards protecting an increasingly endangered family of orcas living in the Pacific Northwest. These unique orcas, who are otherwise known as the Southern Resident killer whales, have gained increasing attention in recent years as they move closer and closer to extinction. Even […]
POLL: Should legislation be passed to prohibit the keeping of Orcas in captivity?
Like too many captive orcas before her, Kayla, who was the second oldest born in captivity, never got to experience freedom outside of a small tank. The 30-year-old orca died much too young at SeaWorld Orlando on Jan. 28 after a sudden illness. When Kayla started showing signs of discomfort two days before she died, […]
Video – Over 140 whales die after becoming stranded on New Zealand beach
As many as 145 whales have died after being found stranded on a remote beach in New Zealand, conservation officials said Monday. Two pods of pilot whales were discovered just over a mile apart on Mason Bay, Stewart Island, a sparsely populated island in the country’s south. Authorities were first alerted to the mass stranding […]
POLL: Should Russia be sanctioned for capturing and selling wild orcas and belugas?
An estimated 11 orcas and up to 90 belugas are currently being held in what’s being dubbed as a ‘whale jail.‘ According to media reports, prosecutors are now investigating a site near the city of Nakhodka, where dozens of orcas and belugas have been confined to small enclosures to determine whether they’re being kept illegally. […]
POLL: Should there be an immediate reduction of the Chinook harvest to save the Orca?
Days before the start of the summer fishing season, when guides and outfitters on Canada’s west coast gamble their financial prospects for the year, fishing lodge owner Ryan Chamberland received devastating news. The coastal waters of Vancouver Island, which he and four generations of his family had fished for salmon, would be out of bounds. […]
POLL: Should the use of Orcas in entertainment be banned?
While we celebrated a major victory when SeaWorld pledged to end captive breeding of orcas and theatrical shows, animal advocates are questioning whether the company is actually serious in light of how it’s continued to use them, and are continuing to work towards making sure it can’t go back on its word. Now, the Animal […]
Orca ‘apocalypse’: half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution
At least half of the world’s killer whale populations are doomed to extinction due to toxic and persistent pollution of the oceans, according to a major new study. Although the poisonous chemicals, PCBs, have been banned for decades, they are still leaking into the seas. They become concentrated up the food chain; as a result, […]
