The Whale Sanctuary Blog

“What I Wish I Could Ask a Whale”

Senator Daniel Christmas of Nova Scotia, Canada, joins Dr. Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, for this conversation ...

Posted March 4, 2021 in News

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

Keiko the Orca’s Legacy

Several of us on the Whale Sanctuary team today worked together 20 years ago to return to the ocean the ...

Posted December 17, 2020 in News

Message from the Sanctuary Site

A brief video message from Charles Vinick, Whale Sanctuary Project executive director, taped at the wharf that overlooks the sanctuary ...

Posted December 8, 2020 in News

A Deep Dive into Environmental Analysis

At the sanctuary site: ADCPs? Multibeam Sonar? Benthic Surveys? Water and Sediment Sampling? Hydrophones and Underwater Microphones? What's it all ...

Posted October 23, 2020 in News

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

A New Calf for the Southern Resident Orcas

Tahlequah (J-35), a member of the endangered Southern Resident orca population, has given birth to a healthy-looking calf, Two years ...

Posted September 7, 2020 in News

Whale Camp!

On August 15th, we held a Whale Sanctuary Family Day Camp in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia, just 15 minutes from the ...

Posted August 22, 2020 in News

Another First for Captive Whales and Dolphins

Little Grey and Little White, two beluga whales who had spent eight years on display at an entertainment park in ...

Posted August 10, 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

Reintroducing Keiko to the Wild – the “Free Willy” Whale

Two members of Keiko’s team talk about what it was like bringing him to Iceland on a giant cargo plane ...

Posted August 2, 2020 in News

“Please Don’t Interact with Curious Beluga Whales in the Ocean!”

A few of the beluga whales who had been captured illegally from Russian waters and were returned to the ocean ...

Posted July 29, 2020 in News

Letter to Russian Government re. Ban on Capture of Cetaceans

Letter to the President and Prime Minister of Russia in support of a ban on the capture of cetaceans for ...

Posted May 30, 2020 in For the Media, 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

Canaries of the Sea

We’ve barely begun to learn who these amazing, charming and complex beings are. Among their unique abilities is their highly ...

Posted May 21, 2020 in News

We Couldn’t Have Chosen a Better Site!

Port Hilford is a wonderful location for a seaside sanctuary for whales being retired from marine entertainment parks. It offers ...

Posted May 6, 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

Canadian Senate Pays Tribute to Work of Whale Sanctuary Project

We are deeply honored by the speech by Senator Patricia Bovey in the Senate of Canada paying tribute to the ...

Posted February 28, 2020 in News

Whale Sanctuary Project selects Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, for sanctuary site

The Whale Sanctuary Project has announced that it will work together with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of ...

Posted February 25, 2020 in For the Media, News

Photographing Belugas in the Wild

Wildlife photographer Ellen Cuylaerts travels the world documenting animals and the challenges they face. We talked with her about her ...

Posted February 8, 2020 in News

Short Film about Whale Sanctuary Project Premieres at Film Festival

“Whales Without Walls,” a short film about the Whale Sanctuary Project, premieres at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020.

Posted January 23, 2020 in News

What Does SeaWorld’s New “Orca Encounter” Teach Us?

On January 1st, 2020, SeaWorld Orlando replaces its “One Ocean” orca show with a new “Orca Encounter” that’s billed as ...

Posted December 31, 2019 in News, Opinion

“Whales Without Walls” – a short film

This short film about why whales should be retired to sanctuaries has won multiple awards at film festivals.

Posted December 6, 2019 in News

Whale Aid Russia

This is the story of the biggest whale rescue in history – of the Whale Sanctuary Project’s work with the ...

Posted November 17, 2019 in News

The Whale Jail Is No More!

The last group of beluga whales from the “whale jail” in Russia have been returned to the ocean. The notorious ...

Posted November 16, 2019 in News

Site Search Report

This is a series of posts about our work in selecting a location for the first seaside sanctuary in North ...

Posted October 27, 2019 in News

Site Search in Nova Scotia

Third in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive whales. ...

Posted October 26, 2019 in News

Site Search in Washington State

Second in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive whales. ...

Posted October 26, 2019 in News

Site Search in British Columbia

First in a series of posts about our search for the best location for a seaside sanctuary for captive whales. ...

Posted October 26, 2019 in News

Statement on Russia’s Efforts to Release All Whales from “Whale Jail”

The Whale Sanctuary Project has issued the following statement regarding the continuing efforts to return to the ocean all the ...

Posted October 25, 2019 in For the Media, News

Long Gone Wild

The documentary film Long Gone Wild focuses on the plight of orcas in captivity at marine entertainment parks and on ...

Posted October 24, 2019 in News

All 10 Orcas from the Whale Jail Have Now Been Returned to the Ocean

This week marked the completion of the return of the 10 orcas from the “whale jail” in Russia to the ...

Posted August 30, 2019 in News

Orca Brains and Intelligence

Dr. Lori Marino explores how a land animal with hooves, who was related to what are today cows and deer ...

Posted August 26, 2019 in News

Munchkin’s Orca Miracle® 360 Cup

Our lead sponsor, Munchkin, Inc., has just introduced a new Wild Love line of its #1 selling Miracle® 360° cup, ...

Posted August 26, 2019 in News

Munchkin’s “Wild Love” Miracle 360® Cups Promote Animal Conservation

Diana Barnes of Munchkin, Inc., writes about the company’s new line of Wild Love Miracle® 360° cups, featuring orcas and ...

Posted August 26, 2019 in News

Kids Envisioning a Better Future for Whales

The mysterious-looking large brown envelope that arrived from Captain John Palliser School in Calgary, Alberta, gave no indication of what ...

Posted August 21, 2019 in News