The Whale Sanctuary Blog Archives
2024

Hvaldimir – Beloved Whale Is Found Dead

Hvaldimir, the beloved beluga whale who escaped from captivity in Russia and made a new life for himself, was found ...

Posted September 10, 2024 in News

Remembering Steven M. Wise

Steven M. Wise, the founder of the Nonhuman Rights Project, was a groundbreaking legal scholar whose historic cases on behalf ...

Posted February 19, 2024 in News

The Passing of Two Orca Calves Prompts a Moment for Reflection

The death of two newborn orcas reminds us of the difference between a natural free-ranging life and one spent in ...

Posted January 31, 2024 in News, Opinion

After Second Death This Year, Russian Aquarium Renounces Use of Captured Orcas

In the wake of two young captive orcas dying so far this year at the Moskvarium Aquarium in Moscow, the ...

Posted July 3, 2023 in News

How Kiska’s Death Can Be Given Meaning

Kiska the orca has died at Marineland. But her tragic death can still have meaning if we rally together to ...

Posted March 16, 2023 in News

Kiska the Orca Has Died at Marineland

Marineland Canada announced today that the orca Kiska has died of a bacterial infection. The news is devastating to all ...

Posted March 10, 2023 in News

Remembering Don Baur – Legal Counsel and Close Friend

He was always engaged in every aspect of the organization, not only its legal responsibilities or requirements.

Posted December 19, 2022 in News

Dolphin Assisted Therapy, Autism and Pseudoscience

Dr. Lori Marino of the Whale Sanctuary Project discusses how Dolphin Assisted Therapy is a nonscientific practice claiming to be ...

Posted November 22, 2021 in News, Opinion

The Landmark Study that Led Me to Reject Research on Captive Whales and Dolphins

It was a landmark study in our understanding of the cognitive abilities of dolphins. But what I learned most from ...

Posted November 8, 2021 in News

Of Mice and Orcas

A recent video of Kiska the orca at Marineland Canada shows her slapping the side of her body against the ...

Posted September 27, 2021 in News, Opinion

Why Captive Cetaceans Have Been Dying

The recent spate of deaths of young whales have apparently been a surprise to their owners at entertainment parks. But ...

Posted August 26, 2021 in News, Opinion

What Is an Authentic Sanctuary?

A sanctuary is, by definition, a place where the wellbeing of the residents is always the priority.  A couple of ...

Posted February 10, 2021 in News, Opinion

Another Infant Beluga Dies at Shedd Aquarium

Another beluga infant has perished at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Beluga whales are highly intelligent, wide-ranging, socially complex, cultural ...

Posted September 20, 2020 in News

Are Beluga Whales Social Butterflies?

A new study shows beluga whales have an even more complex social life than we imagined, one that’s more similar ...

Posted August 6, 2020 in News

Big and Beautiful: the Beluga Brain

In terms of brain size and complexity, beluga whales are among the most sophisticated cetaceans. These big beautiful brains underlie ...

Posted May 26, 2020 in News

A Message from Our President re. COVID-19

I wish you all health and well-being in what are trying times for everyone. And meanwhile, our work in creating ...

Posted March 23, 2020 in News

Extinction – What if They Know?

Because of orcas’ close family bonds, their complex intelligence and their advanced level of self and situational awareness, the Southern ...

Posted January 8, 2019 in News

The World’s Most Intelligent Species?

We’ve known for a long time that whales and dolphins are intelligent and socially complex animals with large brains that ...

Posted October 15, 2018 in Learn More, News

When Captive Belugas Give Birth

At the Shedd Aquarium, the beluga Mauyak is pregnant. We all hope her calf is born healthy and lives beyond ...

Posted September 23, 2018 in News, Opinion

This Is What Extinction Looks Like

I am in an airport on my way home from the San Juan Islands, Washington. I was there to attend ...

Posted September 17, 2018 in News, Opinion

Dolphin Mirror Self-Recognition: the Science and the Ethics

New scientific paper shows two dolphins recognizing themselves in a mirror. This advanced cognitive capacity has only been observed in ...

Posted January 12, 2018 in News, Opinion

2017: A New Beginning for Captive Whales

Thanks to you, 2017 has exceeded our expectations in site selection, fund raising, and the growing movement to bring an ...

Posted December 13, 2017 in News

Choosing a Location

Choosing the right home, as any realtor will tell you, starts with finding the right location. And site selection for ...

Posted June 8, 2016 in Learn More