The Whale Sanctuary Blog

Munchkin Donation in Memory of Tilikum

Shortly after the announcement from SeaWorld, this morning, that Tilikum the orca had died, we had a call from Steven ...

Posted January 6, 2017 in News

Tilikum and “Granny”

We’re sad to report two deaths this week: This morning, SeaWorld Orlando announced that Tilikum had passed away from a ...

Posted January 6, 2017 in Opinion

Holiday Shopping

The Whale Sanctuary Project store is open for your Holiday shopping, with T-shirts, mugs, bags and mouse pads.

Posted November 26, 2016 in News

Morgan: When Rescue Becomes Capture

In 2011, a young, lone, female orca was captured in the waters of the Netherlands under a “rescue, rehabilitation and ...

Posted November 5, 2016 in Learn More

How the First Orcas Were Captured and Sold to Marine Parks

In August 1970, TV cameras were on hand as seven orcas (killer whales) were captured off the coast of Seattle ...

Posted November 5, 2016 in Learn More

Sanctuaries, Conservation and Reparation

Occasionally, anyone creating or running an animal sanctuary is asked whether the money wouldn’t be better spent on conservation and ...

Posted November 5, 2016 in Learn More

International Conference on the Captive Dolphin Industry

At the International Conference on the Captive Dolphin Industry in Mexico, Dr. Marino laid out the mission of The Whale ...

Posted October 24, 2016 in News

Unlocking the Cage

The movie follows attorney Steven Wise as he prepares his first lawsuits to have nonhuman animals recognized by the legal ...

Posted October 24, 2016 in News

More from Nova Scotia

While in Nova Scotia looking at potential sites for a sanctuary, Dr. Marino gave talks to undergraduate and graduate students ...

Posted October 16, 2016 in News

National Shamu the Whale Day

September 26th is National Shamu the Whale Day, and all day our friends at Munchkin are donating 100 percent of ...

Posted September 26, 2016 in News

The Orca Protection Act

Governor Jerry Brown of California has signed into law the Orca Protection Act, thus bringing an end to the breeding and ...

Posted September 13, 2016 in News

Site Selection Team Visits Nova Scotia

Dr. Lori Marino, President of The Whale Sanctuary Project, and board member Charles Vinick spent a week in Nova Scotia ...

Posted August 30, 2016 in News

Belugas Are Whales, Too

Beluga whales are also central to the work of the project, and the waters of Nova Scotia are among their ...

Posted August 15, 2016 in News

Dr. Marino’s Talk at Superpod 5

Among the presentations at this year’s Superpod conference on San Juan Island, WA, was an introduction to The Whale Sanctuary Project ...

Posted August 7, 2016 in News

Why Sanctuaries, not Zoos

In an opinion column in The Washington Post, Whale Sanctuary Project president Dr. Lori Marino describes "three indisputable facts" with ...

Posted July 13, 2016 in News

New Technique Reveals Dolphin Brain Pathways

Two dolphins who died more than a decade ago on a North Carolina beach are now the focus of an ...

Posted July 2, 2016 in News

NPR Interview with Dr. Lori Marino

In this NPR interview on KTEP radio, Dr. Lori Marino, President of The Whale Sanctuary Project, discusses the scientific evidence ...

Posted June 27, 2016 in Learn More

National Aquarium Plans Sanctuary for Their Dolphins

  This morning, the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced plans to build a seaside sanctuary, either in Florida or the ...

Posted June 14, 2016 in News

See You at Superpod 5!

Several members of The Whale Sanctuary Project team will be at Superpod, the annual gathering of orca enthusiasts on San ...

Posted June 8, 2016 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

A whale and her family

Posted May 6, 2016 in For the Media, News

News Release: Launch of Whale Sanctuary Project

The Whale Sanctuary Project ha officially launched today with this release to the major media:

Posted May 5, 2016 in For the Media

Science Magazine Profiles Whale Sanctuary Project

An article posted on Science magazine by David Grimm announces the formation of The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) and discusses the benefits ...

Posted May 5, 2016 in News

Seaside Sanctuaries – Challenges & Rewards

By Heather Rally Whales and dolphins are perfectly adapted to life in the ocean. Orcas, for example, are far-ranging apex-predators, ...

Posted April 26, 2016 in Learn More

Sanctuary Engineering and Site Selection

The first, and most important, factor in engineering a seaside sanctuary is site location. You need protection from extreme surface ...

Posted April 26, 2016 in Learn More

The Benefits of a Seaside Sanctuary

A seaside sanctuary will be more natural for the cetaceans in them in so many ways: acoustically, water quality-wise, and ...

Posted April 26, 2016 in Learn More

Orcas and Munchkins

Shortly after The Whale Sanctuary Project was incorporated, we received a donation of $200,000 from Munchkin, Inc, a company well-known ...

Posted April 24, 2016 in News

Founding Donation

In January, 2016, we received a donation of $10,000 from Jan Pettifor, a passionate advocate for the retirement of orcas ...

Posted April 16, 2016 in News

Origins of the Project

The Whale Sanctuary Project had its origins at a meeting at the University of British Columbia in August, 2015. The ...

Posted April 15, 2016 in News

SeaWorld’s Decision to Stop Breeding

SeaWorld’s decisions to stop breeding captive orcas and to eliminate theatrical shows by 2019 are significant steps forward. But people ...

Posted April 15, 2016 in Opinion

Off to the Island

The ferry is full of people crowding up onto the top deck for glimpses of dolphins, harbor seals, eagles and ...

Posted March 11, 2015 in Learn More

We’ll Meet Again . . .

The group needs a name. I suggest “Superpod” in honor of what we’ve seen and shared over the week. It’s ...

Posted July 16, 2011 in Learn More

Custody Battle Over a Captive Orca

A very unseemly custody battle is going on between SeaWorld and the Canadian circus Marineland over orca Ikaika, whom SeaWorld ...

Posted July 15, 2011 in Learn More

Super-Intelligence

Scientists have several ways of measuring the size and complexity of the brains of different animals. Whatever way you look ...

Posted July 14, 2011 in Learn More

Orca Dinner Party

The orcas have found a shoal of salmon. They need 200 pounds of food every day, and Chinook salmon is ...

Posted July 14, 2011 in Learn More

Orcas at the Other End of the World

The orcas line up and then create a very precise wave that will lift one side of the ice floe ...

Posted July 14, 2011 in Learn More