This is becoming unbearable. The death of Osiris, who was transported to Shedd from Marineland Canada, follows those of Peekachu and Rain. A fourth whale, Jelly Bean, who was sent to Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain, has also died.

It was well known among animal welfare organizations that the health of these whales was seriously compromised. Shedd admits this in their blog post, saying that Osiris was “a whale of clinical concern.”

Tonight, we can only mourn this latest passing. There will be more. None of these whales should have been shipped anywhere until they had been examined by competent, independent veterinarians, who could have determined what was in the whales’ best interests.

And now we are seeing the consequences of this so-called “rescue” – a reckless operation to allow these animals to be further exploited for their entertainment value and for breeding.

It is a slow-motion unfolding tragedy.

# # #

The post A Third Beluga Whale from Marineland Canada Has Died at Shedd Aquarium appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

PRESS STATEMENT

September 3rd, 2026 – Three beluga whale deaths at Shedd Aquarium in little more than a week should force governments, regulators and the public to fundamentally question an industry that continues to keep whales in captivity for entertainment purposes.

“The deaths of former Marineland Canada belugas Peekachu and Rain, alongside long-time Shedd resident Beethoven, are shocking and horrifying,” said Dr. Lori Marino, neuroscientist and founder and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “We cannot simply mourn them, wait for another necropsy and carry on as though there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the status quo. At some point, the world has to stop looking at each death in isolation and start questioning the system itself.”

Photo of a beluga whale during a show at Shedd Aquarium – By Sage Ross via Creative Commons.

The deaths come as the captive marine mammal industry has portrayed and celebrated the transfer of Marineland Canada’s whales to facilities in the United States and Europe as an international “rescue.”

In 2021, when Marineland Canada shipped five beluga whales to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, two of them died in the first six months.

The Whale Sanctuary Project is calling for full transparency about the health of whales transferred from Marineland, including what was known before transport, how animals were determined fit to travel and what additional safeguards are being taken for the surviving whales.

Facilities receiving whales from Marineland Canada must commit publicly that the animals will not be bred.

The fundamental failure of the captive whale industry to plan for the animals it captured, bred, and used for entertainment.
Crisis Not Limited to North America

Around the world, the captive whale industry is confronting the consequences of decades spent capturing, buying and breeding animals without any regard to what happens when facilities close, populations age, or keeping whales in captivity is no longer acceptable.

In France, Wikie and her son Keijo remain shuttered in Marineland Antibes in the South of France, caught by an industry determined to send them to another captive facility despite the French government having identified the Whale Sanctuary Project as the most credible, ethical and welfare-focused option. Their situation underscores the fundamental failure of the captive whale industry to plan for the animals it captured, bred, and used for entertainment. When facilities close, whales should not be left stranded for months or years while the industry searches for another set of concrete tanks willing to take them.

The Sanctuary Model

The Whale Sanctuary Project is building a seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia to provide a fundamentally different future for whales who cannot be released into the wild: lifelong professional care in a natural marine environment, with the space and autonomy that no concrete tank can provide.

But building that alternative requires urgent financial support.

The sanctuary is under construction, and the Whale Sanctuary Project is calling on philanthropists, foundations and people around the world who care about whales to help now so that it can be ready to receive animals.

“We know there is a better way, and we are building it,” added Marino. “But we need people who are appalled by what they are seeing to help us finish this sanctuary. If we want to stop this endless cycle of whales being trafficked from tank to tank, we have to build somewhere better for them to go.”

The deaths at Shedd and the continuing plight of Wikie and Keijo should make the urgency painfully clear.

The choice now is whether we allow the industry to keep shuffling whales between captive facilities or build the infrastructure necessary to finally break that cycle.

How many more whales must die in captivity around the world before we fundamentally rethink what their future should look like?

Moving whales from one concrete tank to another cannot be the long-term answer.

#  #  #

Title photo by Sasha Rink/World Animal Protection

The post Three Deaths at Shedd Aquarium Raise Major Questions appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

PRESS STATEMENT

August 26, 2026 –The death of the beluga whale Peekachu, just two weeks after she was transferred from Marineland to Shedd Aquarium, is heartbreaking. It is also deeply concerning. There must be full transparency about what happened.

The public deserves to know what health assessments were conducted before Peekachu was approved for transport from Marineland, what those assessments showed, what health issues were identified following her arrival at Shedd, and when those concerns first emerged.

Shedd Aquarium should now commit to releasing the complete findings of Peekachu’s necropsy when they are available, along with sufficient information about her pre-transfer and post-arrival health assessments to establish a clear timeline of her condition.

Peekachu’s death is horrible, but the risks facing these whales are, sadly, not surprising. They spent decades in crowded concrete tanks under questionable care standards. Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium and SeaWorld surely know that all of the whales coming from Marineland have pre-existing conditions. How and why was she cleared for transport?

How many more whales must die in captivity before we fundamentally rethink what their future should look like?
Is this not a repeat of what happened five years ago when five beluga whales were sent to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut? Two of them died shortly after arrival and a third died 22 months later. It also makes the question of breeding impossible to ignore. Canadian law prohibits breeding. SeaWorld and the two aquariums receiving belugas from Marineland should publicly commit that these animals will not be bred. The objective should be to provide the best possible lifetime care for the whales who already exist, not to create another generation destined to spend their lives in captivity.

Peekachu’s death brings forward a fundamental question facing the captive wildlife industry:
How many more whales must die in captivity around the world before we fundamentally rethink what their future should look like?

Moving whales from one concrete tank to another cannot be the long-term answer.

This tragedy reinforces the need for coastal sanctuaries like the one that the Whale Sanctuary Project is developing in Nova Scotia to provide captive whales with a fundamentally different future: one where they can receive lifelong professional care in a natural marine environment without being used for entertainment or breeding.

Peekachu deserved better. The remaining Marineland belugas deserve every possible safeguard, complete transparency about their health, and a future that does not perpetuate the cycle of captivity.

# # #

Kari Vierimaa
Vierimaa Consulting
kari@vierimaaconsulting.com

The post Death of Beluga Whale Peekachu at Shedd Aquarium Raises Serious Concerns appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

Whale Sanctuary Project signs 20-year lease with Province of Nova Scotia, advancing North America’s first seaside whale sanctuary

Long-term marine lease provides certainty for the next phase of construction and capital fundraising.

WINE HARBOUR, NOVA SCOTIA (August 21, 2026) – The Whale Sanctuary Project has reached another major milestone after the Province of Nova Scotia formally executed a 20-year lease, renewable for an additional 20 years, for the marine sanctuary area at Port Hilford Bay in Indian Harbour on the province’s Eastern Shore, securing long-term stewardship of the coastal waters that will become the world’s first seaside sanctuary for orcas and beluga whales retired from captivity.

The agreement follows an October 2025 Order in Council (OIC 2025-288) approved by the Executive Council (Cabinet) of Premier Tim Houston, authorizing the Province to enter into the lease with the Whale Sanctuary Project.

Today’s announcement builds on the project’s groundbreaking ceremony in June and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, reflecting continued momentum toward creating a new model of care for whales retiring from marine parks.

“This is a landmark moment, not only for the Whale Sanctuary Project, but for everyone who believes there can be a better future for whales living in captivity,” said Charles Vinick, Chief Executive Officer of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “The lease provides the certainty we’ve been working toward for years. It allows us to move confidently into the next phase of construction, continue building the infrastructure needed to care for whales, and demonstrate that sanctuaries are no longer simply an idea, but an achievable reality.”

“This is a landmark moment for everyone who believes there can be a better future for whales living in captivity.”
Nova Scotia Power has completed bringing electrical service to the sanctuary site, and our general contractor is now beginning work to refurbish the wharf. The wharf will serve as the hub for the sanctuary’s whale care facilities and the staging area for installation of the bay pen and sanctuary barrier net that will provide whales with a safe, natural coastal environment.

The sanctuary will give retired whales the opportunity to experience natural seawater, tides and weather in a space more than 100 times larger than any tank, while still receiving lifelong expert veterinary and animal care.

“The execution of this lease represents much more than the completion of an administrative process,” said Dr. Lori Marino, President and Founder of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “It reflects a growing recognition that whales who have spent their lives in captivity deserve something fundamentally different. A seaside sanctuary offers the opportunity to prioritize their wellbeing, autonomy and dignity while providing lifelong expert care in a natural ocean environment.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project thanks the Province of Nova Scotia, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, local community members, donors, volunteers and project partners whose collaboration has helped transform the project from vision to reality and continues to build momentum toward welcoming the sanctuary’s first whale residents.

To support the Whale Sanctuary Project and help build a seaside sanctuary for whales retired from captivity, visit whalesanctuaryproject.org/donate. 

About the Whale Sanctuary Project

The Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, to provide retired captive orcas and beluga whales with a safe, natural environment for lifelong care. The organization is building the infrastructure needed to support humane, legally compliant transitions out of captivity in aquariums and entertainment parks.

Media Contact:
Kari Vierimaa
Vierimaa Consulting Inc.
kari@vierimaaconsulting.com

The post Nova Scotia Formally Executes Lease for Sanctuary Waters appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

Six More Marineland Belugas Sent to U.S. Aquariums as Whale Sanctuary Project Condemns Continued Captive Breeding

Four whales bound for Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and two for Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta as third airlift in three weeks moves animals from one concrete tank to another

CHICAGO / ATLANTA, August 14, 2026 – The Whale Sanctuary Project is raising concerns over the breeding programs of both Shedd Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium as six more beluga whales were removed from Marineland and transported this week.

Transferring beluga whales from one impoverished environment to another, only to be bred, should not be celebrated as the humane end to this crisis.

“Marineland’s collapse should be a turning point for captive belugas, not an opportunity to continue the cycle of forcing them to live in barren tanks while growing its inhumane breeding program,” said Dr. Lori Marino, President and Founder of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “These whales needed immediate care and a safe place to go. But the long-term goal must be to end the cycle that creates more whales who will spend their entire lives in tanks. Institutions taking in these animals have a responsibility to ensure this crisis is not used to perpetuate that system.”

The latest transfer follows two earlier airlifts from the shuttered Canadian marine park. With this latest move, Shedd Aquarium is receiving four additional female belugas, bringing its beluga population to 16. The aquarium has a decades-long history of breeding belugas in captivity.

Georgia Aquarium has also participated in efforts to maintain a captive beluga population and has publicly described collaboration among accredited aquariums as important to sustaining that population.

The Whale Sanctuary Project is calling on Shedd Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium to honor the intent of Canada’s prohibition on cetacean breeding by committing publicly that the Marineland belugas transferred into their care will not be bred. These whales should not leave Canada only to produce another generation born into captivity.

The Marineland crisis exposes a fundamental problem with the captive-whale industry: when marine parks fail, close or can no longer care for their animals, there are extraordinarily few alternatives available to whales who cannot simply be released into the wild.

That is precisely why seaside sanctuaries are needed.

“Calling these transfers a rescue does not resolve the larger ethical problem,” added Dr. Marino. “The question is not whether these aquariums can provide better care than a bankrupt and shuttered Marineland. They can. The question is whether lifelong confinement in an aquarium, and especially the continuation of captive breeding, is the best future we can offer these animals. It is not.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project is building that alternative at Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia: a seaside sanctuary where whales retired from entertainment facilities can receive lifelong professional care in a natural coastal environment, supported by dedicated veterinary and animal-care teams.

But creating a sanctuary capable of receiving whales requires significant investment in infrastructure, animal care facilities and the systems needed to safely bring whales from captivity into a coastal environment.

The crisis at Marineland underscores the urgent need for an alternative to the industry’s tank-to-tank trafficking of whales. The Whale Sanctuary Project is calling on donors and supporters in Canada, the United States and around the world to help close the remaining funding gap and open the sanctuary.

In recent months, the organization has raised millions of dollars toward construction and development, bringing a 2027 opening increasingly within reach.

Additional funding will help close the remaining gap and ensure that the next whales in need have a genuine alternative to another life in an aquarium tank.

To support the Whale Sanctuary Project and help build a seaside sanctuary for whales retired from captivity, visit whalesanctuaryproject.org/donate. 

About the Whale Sanctuary Project

The Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, to provide retired captive orcas and beluga whales with a safe, natural environment for lifelong care. The organization is building the infrastructure needed to support humane, legally compliant transitions out of captivity in aquariums and entertainment parks.

Media Contact:
Kari Vierimaa
Vierimaa Consulting Inc.
kari@vierimaaconsulting.com

The post Whale Sanctuary Project Condemns Plans to Breed “Rescued” Beluga Whales appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

Marineland beluga transfers mark end of one crisis but hardly the ‘rescue’ industry suggests

Years of rejected retirement solutions and inadequate government planning left captive whales with no truly humane option

PORT HILFORD BAY, NOVA SCOTIA, July 21, 2026 — As Marineland Canada’s remaining 30 beluga whales begin their transfer to U.S. marine entertainment parks and aquariums, the Whale Sanctuary Project says the operation marks the latest chapter in the captive cetacean industry’s decades-long practice of moving whales between facilities rather than retiring them.

Rather than signaling a new model for animal welfare, the transfers perpetuate the same system of captivity that created the Marineland crisis in the first place.

“For years, we warned that this day was coming,” said Dr. Lori Marino, President and Founder of Whale Sanctuary Project. “We first approached Marineland in 2019 with a constructive proposal to retire whales to a seaside sanctuary before the situation became a crisis. That opportunity was rejected. These transfers are not evidence that the system worked. They are evidence that governments and the industry waited until there were virtually no good options left.”

For decades, captive whales have been treated as commercial assets, transferred back and forth for breeding, exhibition and other business purposes. The Marineland transfers should prompt governments to ask whether moving whales from one entertainment facility to another represents meaningful progress or merely prolongs captivity under a more favorable public-relations banner.

The Whale Sanctuary Project is developing North America’s first seaside sanctuary for retired whales in Nova Scotia. It will provide an alternative for whales who cannot return to the wild but deserve far more natural living conditions than those offered by conventional concrete tanks.

Canada has passed legislation bringing an end to the use of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes, but the law does not provide for what happens to the animals when facilities close.

“Ending captivity is only half of the conversation,” said Charles Vinick, Chief Executive Officer of Whale Sanctuary Project. “Governments also need compassionate, long-term solutions for whales who are already living in captivity. Without credible retirement pathways, they will continue to face impossible choices whenever another marine park fails.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project is calling for greater transparency around the transfers, including public disclosure of the veterinary assessment process, long-term monitoring of the whales’ welfare, and binding assurances that exported whales meet the requirements of Canadian law and will not be used in future breeding or entertainment programs.

The organization says the lessons from Marineland extend well beyond Canada. As aging marine parks close, governments around the world are struggling to determine the future of the whales and dolphins they leave behind.

Similar concerns are unfolding in Europe, where the future of the two surviving orcas at Marineland Antibes remains uncertain following the closing of the park in January 2026.

“If the only answer governments have when a marine park fails is to move whales to another marine park, then we have not solved the problem,” Marino concluded. “We have simply moved it. The next captive whale crisis is not a question of if. It is a question of where.”

-30-

About Whale Sanctuary Project

The Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, to provide retired captive orcas and beluga whales with a safe, natural environment and lifelong expert care. The organization is building the infrastructure needed to support humane, legally compliant transitions out of aquariums and entertainment parks.

Media contact:
Kari Vierimaa
Vierimaa Consulting Inc.
kari@vierimaaconsulting.com

The post Marineland Beluga Transfers: End of a Crisis but Hardly a ‘Rescue’ appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

On the morning of May 1st, four vessels—the Fortuna, Robin Hood, Arne Tesilius, and an accompanying barge—continued their steady northward passage into the North Sea. By the third day of transport, they had traveled more than 300 miles from Wismar Bay and were positioned roughly 45 miles north of Skagen, Denmark, marking a significant point in their ongoing journey.

May 1

An early morning briefing was held with Stefan the barge captain, the divers and boat crew to outline the operational plan for the day, which would include tagging the whale and a potential release later in the afternoon, weather permitting. The vessel crew emphasized that sea conditions were extremely rough. As a result, we were required to sign a liability waiver acknowledging that we would not hold the crew responsible for any injuries sustained during the tagging or release operations.

In addition, in-water safety protocols were developed by Jeff Foster, Anne Herrschaft the attending veterinarian, Mike Partica, Kyra Wadsworth, and the rescue divers. These protocols included limiting personnel access to the whale to those with experience working with marine mammals, following prior observations that some barge crew members were unable to consistently adhere to established safety guidelines around the whale. An agreement was signed by Jeff and Stefan designating that Jeff was the lead for all whale-related operations, while Stefan was assigned responsibility for overseeing the barge and safety crew.

At approximately 10:00 AM, as soon as they arrived at the barge, Jeff, Mike, Kyra, Anne, two divers and Stephan immediately conducted an assessment of the whale. Timmy exhibited multiple visible injuries consistent with the severe conditions experienced overnight. These included several lacerations on the anterior portion of the head, likely caused by contact with exposed bolts along the barge walls; additional abrasions on the head region and near the blowhole, likely due to contact with the straps holding the sandbags in the front of the barge; a scrape measuring approximately two feet along the right fluke; and a significant abrasion (“raspberry”) along the left lateral body measuring approximately one meter in length and half a meter in width.

Based on these observations, Jeff, Mike, Kyra and Anne expressed serious concern regarding the whale’s physical condition and ability to withstand another night aboard the barge, particularly given forecasts indicating worsening sea conditions as the vessel continued northward.

The tagging procedure proceeded under challenging conditions. The only tag that could be acquired in advance of departure from Insul Poel was designed for use on a seal and was therefore larger than appropriate for a humpback whale’s dorsal fin and had to be modified to fit Timmy’s dorsal fin. To adapt it, the team retrofitted the device using multiple cut sections of firehose secured with epoxy. Prior to departure, the team purchased the longest stainless-steel pins available, which were 3 inches in length. During the tagging application procedure only a single pin could be used to attach the tag to the dorsal fin because the dorsal fin was too thick in most parts for additional pins to be used properly.

Jeff, Mike, Kyra and Anne expressed serious concern regarding the whale’s physical condition and ability to withstand another night aboard the barge.
Conditions on the barge were rough, though the water level had been lowered enough to allow personnel to stand. Jeff, Mike, and Kyra entered the water with the tagging equipment, and Anne joined shortly afterward to remain near Timmy’s head to provide a calming presence. Due to limited accessibility, Jeff positioned himself on the whale just behind the dorsal fin to carry out the tagging procedure. Lassie, one of the divers, also entered the water to assist, while Mike made repeated trips between Jeff and Kyra to relay equipment.

The tagging process took approximately 30 minutes to complete and was ultimately secured. However, it was noted that the use of only a single attachment point could cause the tag to hang lower on the animal than intended, potentially affecting the consistency of satellite signal transmissions.

Following this, we formally requested permission from the barge crew, including divers Dan and Lassie, to remain with the whale due to concerns for its welfare. While permission was granted for us to stay onboard the barge, we were not permitted to enter the water.

As sea conditions continued to deteriorate, Timmy was observed expending significant energy attempting to stabilize and avoid repeated impact with the barge structure. Given Timmy’s existing injuries and increasing fatigue, our team strongly recommended initiating release procedures as soon as possible. However, we were informed that due to the vessel’s location within active shipping lanes, release would be delayed by at least one hour.

Jeff Foster in an earlier Whale Aid program preparing to take a breath sample from an orca (Photo by Katy Foster)

Jeff, Mike, Kyra, and Anne evaluated potential methods for removing the whale from the barge. It became clear that Timmy’s length had initially been underestimated and that the whale was several meters too long to turn around within the confines of the barge. Multiple attempts by the whale to reposition itself had already been observed to be unsuccessful. The team also raised the water level within the barge to the maximum feasible height to determine whether additional buoyancy would enable Timmy to turn, but this also proved ineffective.

The option of using a net to extract the whale was considered and ultimately rejected for several reasons. The available nets were highly abrasive, and the size required for an animal of this scale would have been extremely difficult to manage manually. Additionally, standard practice avoids dragging a whale using mechanical force beyond human control. Given this whale’s existing injuries and elevated stress levels, there was significant concern about causing further harm, particularly to sensitive areas such as the head and eyes.

The captain made the decision to leave Timmy unattended during the night despite strong objections voiced by Jeff and other members of the whale rescue team.
Communication throughout this process was inconsistent and ineffective. Multiple individuals simultaneously issued directives, often disregarding established protocols and the whale rescue team’s guidance.

It was ultimately decided to suspend operations for the evening and reconvene the following morning because weather conditions were improving, and it was felt we could continue farther north with the whale, which ultimately was in Timmy’s best interest. The captain made the decision to leave Timmy unattended during the night despite strong objections voiced by Jeff and other members of the whale rescue team given their concerns regarding Timmy’s deteriorating condition and the risks associated with leaving Timmy unattended overnight. Notably, it is standard practice in such operations to maintain continuous (24-hour) monitoring of an animal; however, the whale rescue team was not permitted to do so, which caused significant concern.

Later that evening, a coordination meeting was held involving Jeff, the barge captain (Stefan), the captain of the tugboat Robin Hood, the captain of the Fortuna, which was the vessel towing the barge, and Howie, the first mate on the barge. A release strategy was discussed and agreed upon. The Fortuna captain stated that Jeff would be responsible for overseeing the release operation. The agreed method involved slowing the barge tow to a minimum speed, manually repositioning the whale toward the stern, and then, if necessary, using the tugboat to solely apply controlled drift force without power to guide the whale the remaining distance out of the barge before releasing all lines.

Jeff communicated to the rest of the whale rescue team that operations would commence at 7:00 AM the following morning, with the tugboat scheduled to retrieve them from the Arne Tesilius, the vessel on which the whale rescue team members were being housed.

*     *     *

May 2

At approximately 6:30 AM, a crew member on the Fortuna informed Jeff that the transfer to the barge process was already underway. Upon arriving on deck, Jeff observed that personnel were fully prepared and already mobilized aboard the tugboat Robin Hood. He was informed that the team was departing immediately to assess the whale but would return for the rest of the whale rescue team. Although initially considering waiting for the rest of his team, Jeff boarded the tugboat at the last moment to assess the health of the whale believing they would be returning for the rest of the whale rescue team after checking on Timmy. Weather conditions the previous night had been fairly rough, and he had concerns about the health of the whale.

During transit to the barge, disagreements arose regarding the methodology for handling and securing the whale. Jeff advocated for the previously agreed-upon approach; however, the tugboat captain, the barge captain and crew advocated and pressed for different methods.

Upon arrival at the barge, Jeff requested that the tugboat retrieve the remainder of the whale rescue team from the Fortuna and the Arne Tesilius to ensure a safe and properly coordinated operation. This request was denied multiple times by the tugboat captain. Jeff reiterated that he would not proceed without the full team, emphasizing that this was the only safe and responsible course of action.

The tugboat captain attempted to confiscate Jeff’s phone, threatening to discard it overboard.Jeff then attempted to confirm operational authority via radio communication. The captain of the Fortuna reaffirmed that Jeff was to direct the release operation. Despite this, the tugboat captain continued to refuse compliance. Communication barriers further complicated the situation, with conflicting instructions being issued in multiple languages. Not only were Jeff’s concerns for the whale ignored, but the captain and crew were insolent and contemptuous of his requests to follow the plan as previously agreed upon by which the personnel having the experience to care for the whale would execute the plan. Without the whale team present to execute the release plan, Jeff determined that he would not move to the barge and simply could not participate in what the barge captain and crew were doing.

Jeff requested that the Fortuna deploy its rubber boat to pick up staff and transport them to the barge but received no response. He then attempted to contact the rescue organizers to report that the situation was deteriorating. However, he was unable to reach them due to the lack of internet and cellular service.

Given these circumstances, Jeff again formally stated that he could not participate in what the barge captain and crew were doing. Not only were his concerns for the whale being ignored; the crew were openly disrespectful of his expertise. Jeff stated multiple times that he wanted the whole procedure called off, requesting that it be stopped. But his requests were ignored.

He then approached the captain once more, calmly stating that the situation was unacceptable and noting that it could potentially result in legal action from organizers. The captain responded nonverbally with a shrug, after which Jeff returned to the flying bridge of the tugboat, the Robin Hood.

Subsequently, Jeff observed from the tugboat as crew members—including individuals without marine mammal handling expertise—attempted to reposition and release the whale. One individual, Stefan, who only had minimal prior in-water experience with the whale, entered the water and attempted to maneuver him alone, without success.

Throughout the operation, guidance and safety protocols that the whale rescue team had previously provided to the crew were repeatedly disregarded. Crew members demonstrated a lack of understanding of the risks associated with interacting with a large marine mammal under stress.

During this time, Jeff began documenting the events. The tugboat captain intervened, attempting to confiscate his phone by grabbing his hand and then threatening to discard the phone overboard, stating that recording was not permitted. Jeff complied and ceased recording to avoid escalation.

The release attempt proceeded with multiple individuals (Stefan, Danny, Howie, and two others) manually securing lines to the whale’s fluke using a pike pole, which has a very sharp end with a hook. The soft tail-lines were secured to the whale and then attached to the tugboat. It was also observed that the Fortuna appeared to maintain a higher towing speed than agreed upon. As a result, the whale was forcibly dragged over sandbags within the barge with the pectoral fins fully extended, appearing to try to maintain stability while also causing visible distress.

The tugboat then seemed to apply reverse force, resulting in a rapid and uncontrolled extraction of the whale from the barge with the Fortuna pulling forward and the tugboat pulling in the opposite direction. This occurred significantly faster than the planned controlled release, raising further concerns about potential injury to the whale.

Several crew members privately expressed apologies for the manner in which the situation had been handled.
Once clear of the barge (approximately 30 meters), the whale was freed from the lines. Upon surfacing, Timmy appeared disoriented, initially taking a shallow breath before regaining some stability and taking a stronger breath.

After the release, Jeff returned to the lower deck of the tugboat. Several crew members privately expressed apologies for the manner in which the situation had been handled. Jeff did not engage further and remained silent during the return transit to the Fortuna. Upon arrival, he was given limited time to gather his belongings before rejoining the Arne Tesilius.

On the Arne Tesilius, Jeff briefed Mike and Kyra on the events that had occurred earlier that morning involving the Fortuna and Robin Hood. He expressed significant frustration and concern regarding the situation. It was also noted that none of the whale specialists had been able to assess Timmy that morning, leaving the team without updated information on the whale’s current condition, particularly given that conditions the previous night had been relatively rough.

The attending veterinarian Anne also joined the discussion and reiterated that no veterinary assessment of the whale’s health had been conducted, despite this being standard practice prior to a release. The situation left the team deeply concerned about the whale’s current physical and behavioral condition. After weeks of intensive effort to reach this stage, the outcome was especially disheartening and contributed to a strong sense of frustration among all involved.

*     *     *

May 16

Based on data from Timmy’s transmitter device, we know that the whale swam freely in the open ocean for several days, had multiple deep dives, including to a depth of 150 meters, indicating that Timmy was foraging for food. On May 15th, Timmy was located on the surface and, sadly, was found to have passed away.

#   #   #

The post Summary of Events Surrounding Release of Timmy the Whale appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

The project to rescue this young humpback whale who had stranded on sandbanks in Northern Germany waters brought together people from countries far and wide for one purpose: to give him a chance. In the face of arguments that there was no hope, and that the whale should simply be euthanized or left to die, people joined together in an “all-out” effort to help a whale who continued to show himself to be determined not to give up.

What followed, throughout the many days of the rescue efforts in Germany, was a powerful reminder of the very best of humanity: compassion, determination, collaboration, and the willingness to fight for another living being simply because his life mattered.

The uncertainty surrounding Timmy’s release is understandable with all the contradictory stories in the media and even posted images of other whales. Worse yet, the ship’s captain and crew took it upon themselves to release the whale and did not permit the veterinarians and whale experts to conduct or even participate in this release. Only one was even allowed to observe the ship’s crew releasing the whale.

There may always be unanswered questions about whether Timmy sustained injuries during the release process. The treatment and conduct displayed by members of the ship’s crew that day was more than disturbing given the extraordinary care and professionalism that had surrounded Timmy throughout the rescue effort.

The young whale’s remarkable will to live, and the organizers’, funders’ and the rescue team’s efforts on his behalf, and the public’s support for his determination will not be diminished by the circumstances surrounding that day.

While the outcome of his release is not what everyone wished for, he was not left to slowly deteriorate on a sandbank. And we do know from his transmitter device that he swam freely in the open ocean again for several days, diving deep beneath the surface to 150 meters, experienced the water around him, perhaps hearing the songs of other whales, and living his authentic life once again, even briefly.

# # #

The post A Whale Sanctuary Project Comment on the Stranded Humpback Whale Timmy appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

PRESS STATEMENT

PORT HILFORD BAY, NS (May 15, 2026) — As construction continues on the Whale Sanctuary Project’s Nova Scotia site, the organization is responding to the Government of France’s decision regarding the future of Wikie and Keijo, the two orcas remaining at Marineland Antibes.

The Whale Sanctuary Project understands from the French Minister of Ecological Transition Mathieu Lefèvre’s statement that he has approved Marineland Antibes’ request to transfer Wikie and Keijo to Loro Parque zoo in Spain, contradicting his former statements and the position he outlined in the meeting held in February. This outcome is deeply concerning from both a legal and animal welfare perspective.

“This decision is devastating for Wikie and Keijo,” said Charles Vinick, Chief Executive Officer of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “Allowing them to be transferred to Loro Parque zoo defies the Minister’s position that the Nova Scotia sanctuary is the only ethical, credible solution that is in keeping with the letter and spirit of the French law, which was intended to end the use of whales and dolphins for entertainment and breeding.”

The law explicitly prohibits these practices. However, Loro Parque continues to rely on performance-based programming and breeding, particularly following the deaths of four orcas at the facility since 2019. Transferring Wikie and Keijo into that environment risks perpetuating the very system the law was designed to phase out.

“This decision reflects the ongoing tension between policy commitments and implementation,” said Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “Despite clear legal and ethical direction, there remains pressure to maintain outdated models of captivity. This only underscores the importance of building credible, humane alternatives that can support real change.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project continues to align its work with the position previously articulated by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, which identified the sanctuary as the most credible, ethical and welfare-focused option that meets French legal requirements.

Construction planning and early mobilization activities remain underway in Nova Scotia, with initial work focused on core site preparation, including marine and utility infrastructure.

The capital campaign is continuing, with recent donor support contributing to near-term construction priorities. The Whale Sanctuary Project remains confident in its ability to secure the funding required to complete the sanctuary and support the long-term care of whales transitioning out of captivity.

“While this is tragic for Wikie and Keijo, it reinforces the urgency of the work ahead,” added Vinick. “We are continuing to build a sanctuary that can support whales in need around the world and provide a viable path forward as more governments and institutions move away from captivity.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project remains focused on delivering a long-term solution for whales transitioning out of captivity and is closely monitoring broader developments across the sector, including in Canada.

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About the Whale Sanctuary Project 

The Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, to provide retired captive orcas and beluga whales with a safe, natural environment for lifelong care. The organization is building the infrastructure needed to support humane, legally compliant transitions out of captivity in aquariums and entertainment parks.

Media Contact:

Kari Vierimaa
Vierimaa Consulting Inc.
kari@vierimaaconsulting.com

The post Whale Sanctuary Project Responds to French Decision to Transfer Wikie and Keijo to Loro Parque Zoo appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

The release operation by the captain and his crew was conducted without the participation of the veterinarians, the Whale Sanctuary Project team, and the other experts who were caring for Timmy and were scheduled to conduct his safe release into the ocean.

In London, the Guardian newspaper, whose reports we have been following, last wrote that “The 10-metre long calf swam out of the barge and was later observed blowing through its blowhole and swimming freely “in the right direction”, according to Karin Walter-Mommert from the rescue initiative.”

And the Associated Press added that “the whale was released 70 kilometers (about 45 miles) from the coast of Skagen, Denmark” and that “Drone footage showed a whale swimming and spouting water near the barge, though it was not immediately confirmed that the animal was indeed Timmy.”

Shortly after the captain and his crew released Timmy, the funders of the rescue effort issued a statement in German. Here is the English translation:

Concerning the events this morning

Karin Walter-Mommert

May 2, 2026

We hereby state that we were neither involved in today’s release operation concerning the whale nor did we actively accompany it. Any consequences resulting from uncoordinated actions this morning concerning and around the whale shall be borne by the owner, the operators, and the crew members of the vessels Fortuna B and Robin Hood known to us.

We hereby expressly distance ourselves from the events and the manner in which the whale was set free. As we are still in the process of investigating, no names will be released at this time. We ask for your understanding.

For clarification: A second release attempt had been scheduled for May 2, 2026, naturally dependent on the whale’s health status.

Our team was to be brought to the barge in the morning, keeping in mind that every kilometer of safe transport in a north-westerly direction would increase the whale’s chances of survival.

Contrary to this arrangement, only one of our team members, Jeffrey Foster, was transferred to the tugboat by the ship crew, but not to the barge; the veterinarians were, for whatever reason, put off with

a promise of a later transfer, which never took place; and Jeffrey’s team members were also not picked up and brought to the barge by the ship crew as planned and scheduled.

On board the barge, none of the measures previously discussed, scheduled, communicated to us, and planned were then taken to get the whale off the vessel; neither was a required inspection by our veterinarians and examination of the whale allowed to take place.

Mr. Jeffrey Foster’s urgent request to have his teammates and the veterinarians brought on board immediately, as previously scheduled, was denied by the ship crew. Likewise, he was forbidden, during the course of these events, to use his mobile phone, under threat that it would be thrown into the sea.

To clarify: Jeffrey Foster did in no way participate in the actions of the ship crew. On the contrary — he tried to prevent the shipping crew from conducting their actions, but was hindered to do so.

Further details will follow after evaluation.

Karin Walter-Mommert
Walter Gunz

We will post further updates as they become available.

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NEWS RELEASE — PORT HILFORD BAY, NS (April 8, 2026) — As pre-construction and mobilization continue at the Whale Sanctuary Project’s Nova Scotia site, the organization is pleased to announce significant additional donor contributions, including a US $3 million donation. This latest funding provides additional funds for initial construction and adds momentum to the capital fundraising campaign to complete the sanctuary.

The funding will be deployed to support near-term construction activities and the development of key facilities as the sanctuary prepares to receive its first whales.

“This level of support is a clear signal that there is both urgency and belief in building a viable alternative to captivity in marine entertainment parks and aquariums,” said Charles Vinick, Chief Executive Officer of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “These funds allow us to move forward on critical infrastructure while ensuring we are building the sanctuary to the highest standards of care.”

Awaiting word from France

The announcement comes as the Whale Sanctuary Project continues to await clarity from the government of France on next steps regarding the future of the two mother-and son orcas Wikie and Keijo and the 12 bottlenose dolphins who are being considered for relocation to a habitat at the Beauval Zoo in France.

While no final determination for all 14 cetaceans has been communicated, the Whale Sanctuary Project remains prepared to support responsible outcomes.

“We stand ready to work in partnership with governments to support a safe and successful transition for whales like Wikie and Keijo,” added Vinick. “This is about aligning policy decisions with credible, welfare-first solutions.”

The French Ministry of Ecological Transition has previously identified the Whale Sanctuary Project as the most credible, ethical and welfare-focused option that meets French legal requirements. The Whale Sanctuary Project continues to prioritize animal welfare, scientific rigor, and long-term care outcomes for all cetaceans who can be retired from entertainment facilities.

“As a new ethic of respect and compassion takes hold, a new model is being created in how to care for animals of all kinds who have spent their whole lives in the small and impoverished environment of a concrete tank,” said Dr. Lori Marino, Founder and President of the Whale Sanctuary Project.

Successful transfer of any marine mammals to sanctuary requires careful collaboration among the Whale Sanctuary Project and the present management and care teams. This begins with a thorough health assessment by independent veterinary experts and continues with the whales being conditioned for life in an ocean environment. The organization looks forward to collaborating with the government of France and Marineland Antibes to support the welfare of Wikie and Keijo.

Building a global pathway for whales transitioning out of captivity

Completion of the Nova Scotia sanctuary will signal the beginning of a new model for captive cetaceans around the world, as the need for sanctuaries grows more urgent. The Whale Sanctuary Project is closely monitoring developments related to the beluga whales at Marineland Canada, which has also closed to the public and whose 30 surviving beluga whales are in urgent need of care and new homes.

“Public opinion in Europe and the Americas no longer supports the exploitation of whales and dolphins,” concluded Vinick. “We need to develop fully engaged partnerships among governments, organizations, and the marine entertainment industry for whales and dolphins to be retired to more natural environments. Our role is to provide a credible, welfare-first pathway that makes these transitions possible.”

#  #  #

About the Whale Sanctuary Project 

The Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, to provide retired captive orcas and beluga whales with a safe, natural environment for lifelong care. The organization is building the infrastructure needed to support humane, legally compliant transitions out of captivity in aquariums and entertainment parks.

Note: The following is a downloadable pdf copy of the above news release

The post New Funding Commitments as France Continues Review of Options appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute has announced that this year’s recipient of its prestigious Drake Award will be Dr. Lori Marino, founder and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project.

We’re delighted to learn this. And you may understandably be asking: “But what does the search for extraterrestrial intelligence have to do with whales and dolphins and the Whale Sanctuary Project?”

The answer, in fact, is: “Quite a lot.”

The SETI Institute is best known for the huge arrays of telescopes that watch for signs and signals of intelligent life beyond Earth. Less well-known is that its work involves a lot more than just scanning the cosmos. It requires a basic understanding of the different forms of intelligence that life might take on other worlds. And since the intelligence of whales and dolphins parallels that of us humans in many ways, understanding their highly complex brains and intelligence is a great way to start.

That’s why, to help answer the question of how to look for signs of intelligent life beyond Planet Earth, astronomers at the SETI Institute turn to scientists who study intelligence in our fellow animals.

A neuroscientist and psychologist by training, Dr. Marino is a leader in the field of intelligence in nonhuman animals. In 2001, at the New York Aquarium, she and a colleague demonstrated that bottlenose dolphins showed evidence of self-awareness, which is considered one of the hallmarks of complex intelligence.

She also showed that having an oversized brain is not unique to us humans and our primate cousins. Dolphins have them, too.

But while these findings led many of her colleagues to want to pursue further research on captive dolphins, it led Dr. Marino to the opposite conclusion: that no self-aware being belongs in a concrete tank. Nor, indeed, except for their own wellbeing, in any form of captivity.

And it was this understanding that would lead her, 15 years later, to the founding of the Whale Sanctuary Project and our efforts today to complete the sanctuary we’re establishing in Nova Scotia.

You can browse through some of Dr. Marino’s research into the intelligence of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) on the Whale Sanctuary website here.

One thing that has drawn scientists at SETI to her work is that although, over tens of millions of years, cetaceans and humans have evolved along very different tracks, our two species share much in common in terms of our psychology. They call this convergent evolution. And if it happens in animals who are so distantly related on our own planet, one might reasonably hypothesize that life forms on other worlds might develop similar forms of intelligence, too.

What, then, might the evolution of intelligence on Earth tell us about how life and intelligence might evolve on other planets? And what does this kind of research tell us about how we should relate to the other animals right here on our own planet?

Prior to her work with whales and dolphins, Dr. Marino also worked at NASA in the Space Life Sciences program. And in bestowing this year’s Drake Award on her, the SETI Institute recognizes the importance of advancing our understanding of intelligence on Earth and applying that knowledge to foster meaningful scientific, ethical, and social change. Only once we have accomplished this on our own planet will we be in a position to relate meaningfully and ethically to whatever forms of life we might encounter on other worlds.

Below is a copy of the SETI Institutes announcement of this year’s Drake Award.

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The Whale Sanctuary Project today announced key milestones in its pre-construction mobilization at Port Hilford Bay, marking the next step toward building North America’s first seaside whale sanctuary.

Construction fencing is now installed on the 30-acre property adjacent to the sanctuary waters, and property clearing is now underway, signaling the transition from site preparation to active development. This initial mobilization marks Phase One of the sanctuary’s construction plan, focused on upland infrastructure in the lead up to wharf reconstruction.

Contractor Announced, Commitment to Canadian Materials

As construction begins, the Whale Sanctuary Project confirmed that its priority is to use Canadian materials and suppliers wherever possible throughout the build phase.

This commitment includes sourcing materials domestically when feasible, engaging Canadian engineering and marine specialists, and working with Nova Scotian trades and subcontractors to ensure the project delivers economic participation within Nova Scotia and across Canada.

In line with that commitment, the organization announced that it has retained R.J. MacIsaac Construction, Ltd. as general contractor.

“This is a technically demanding marine build, and we’re confident in our ability to execute it responsibly,” said Boyd MacIsaac, President of R.J. MacIsaac Construction, Ltd. “We know this coastline, we understand its conditions, and we’re committed to delivering infrastructure that meets rigorous environmental and engineering standards.”

Hiring R.J. MacIsaac Construction, Ltd reinforces the Project’s ongoing commitment to keeping the project activity rooted in the local economy.

“We’re committed to delivering infrastructure that meets rigorous environmental and engineering standards.”
The sanctuary infrastructure will be constructed on the 30-acre upland property adjacent to the sanctuary waters, including marine access improvements, operational facilities, and support systems necessary to safely house whales retired from captivity.

“We are now at the stage when all our years of studies, all our detailed engineering analyses, and our site modelling can be applied to final construction,” said Charles Vinick, CEO of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “That work will ensure the highest standards of welfare for the whales along with safety and operational efficiency for the whale care team.”

Project continues to have significant regional support

As the Whale Sanctuary Project transitions into the construction phase, it continues to receive strong support from across the region.

Since first exploring Nova Scotia as a potential location in 2018, the organization has held more than two dozen public meetings and open houses, established a Community Liaison Committee, and welcomed more than 7,500 visitors to its Visitor and Operations Centre in Sherbrooke. Local volunteers have contributed thousands of hours to outreach, programming, and community events.

The Port Hilford Bay site itself was first suggested by Nova Scotians during early consultations, and local engagement played a central role in bringing the project to the Eastern Shore.

“People in this community stepped forward early, identified the sanctuary location and said they believed this was something Nova Scotia could lead,” said Amy Simon, Community Outreach Coordinator of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “Seeing construction begin is a moment many local supporters have been working toward for a long time.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project will continue to provide updates and maintain open communication with residents as work progresses.

# # #

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NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA [February 17, 2026] — The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) is set to enter the construction phase of its Nova Scotia ocean sanctuary, marking a major milestone as the organization transitions from planning to on-site implementation. 

Pre-construction planning and mobilization activities are underway, including early technical coordination and readiness work to position the site for construction. 

The Whale Sanctuary Project expects to begin construction when weather permits and proceed through a staged build plan toward an initial occupancy in the second half of 2026, with timing aligned to construction progress and capital. Staged milestones will prioritize site readiness, long-term sanctuary operations, and ensuring the facility is appropriately prepared to support the specific care requirements of whales received into sanctuary. 

Initial work will focus on core site mobilization and essential marine and utility infrastructure, as WSP continues to advance its capital campaign and engage potential partners. The start of construction signals a clear shift from planning to physical build-out. 

Each construction milestone brings the sanctuary measurably closer to being ready to safely welcome whales when transfer pathways are finalized.  

“This is a milestone we’ve worked toward for years,” said Charles Vinick, Chief Executive Officer of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “A coastal sanctuary offers something fundamentally different: a safe, protected environment designed for lifelong care. Our focus now is building the infrastructure that makes a humane retirement possible for whales transitioning out of captivity.” 

WSP Leadership in France as Discussions Continue on Future of Marineland Antibes’ Orcas 

The French Ministry of Ecological Transition continues to view the Whale Sanctuary Project as the most credible, ethical, and welfare-focused option for Wikie and Keijo that meets French legal requirements. 

The Whale Sanctuary Project is committed to supporting a responsible transition process that balances urgency with the preparation required to ensure a safe and successful outcome. 

Ahead of any transfer, the whales will need to receive a thorough health assessment at Marineland Antibes by the Whale Sanctuary Project and independent veterinary experts before being prepared for a safe and successful transition to the sanctuary. 

WSP looks forward to ongoing collaborating with the Government of France and Marineland Antibes for the welfare of Wikie and Keijo. 

Fundraising Campaign Continues 

The sanctuary’s fundraising campaign continues in parallel with this next phase of work, focused on securing the resources required to deliver a permanent, welfare-first sanctuary model for whales retired from captivity in aquariums and entertainment parks. Funds raised will support the infrastructure, animal care capacity, and long-term operational systems required to provide safe, lifelong care in a protected natural environment. 

The campaign reflects a growing international shift away from cetacean entertainment and toward humane retirement solutions. As more governments and institutions confront the long-term future of whales currently held in marine parks, WSP is engaging philanthropic and institutional partners to help ensure a credible sanctuary option exists to support lawful, science-led transitions when opportunities arise. Early-stage capital commitments and active partner discussions are helping advance the project toward full funding.  

The Whale Sanctuary Project remains confident in its ability to secure the funding required to deliver the sanctuary. 

# # #

About the Whale Sanctuary Project
The Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, to provide retired captive orcas and beluga whales with a safe, natural environment for lifelong care. WSP is building the infrastructure needed to support humane, legally compliant transitions out of captivity in aquariums and entertainment parks. 

Media Contact:
Kari Vierimaa
Vierimaa Consulting Inc.
kari@vierimaaconsulting.com 

The post Whale Sanctuary Project Set to Enter Construction Phase appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

This approach comes a year after the entertainment park Marineland Antibes closed its doors to the public and the government began working with Marineland to find a solution for the two mother-and-son whales.

The need to retire Wikie and Keijo from public performance was first prompted in 2020, when Minister Barbara Pompili announced a plan to bring an end to keeping cetaceans in captivity for the purposes of entertainment. In 2024, Minister Agnès Pannier‑Runacher ruled against Marineland Antibes sending the whales to an aquarium in Japan. And early in 2025, the Spanish government foreclosed the possibility of Marineland sending them to the Loro Parque zoo. Any possibility of finding a suitable location in Europe has now apparently also faded.

We appreciate the government reaching out to us, and we have responded that we will help in any way we can and will work with them to see if the Nova Scotia sanctuary can be a solution for Wikie and Keijo. Any such plan will require close collaboration among the Whale Sanctuary team, the government, and the care team at Marineland Antibes, with all three working together to do what is best for the whales.

We are currently in direct contact with the new Minister of Ecological Transition with a view to seeing if the Nova Scotia sanctuary can be a solution for the whales.

For more information and background:

Spain Rejects Plan to Transfer Orcas to Zoo in Canary Islands – April 2025

Whale Sanctuary Project Offers Help in Providing Solution for Orcas Feb 2025

Ministry Rejects Application to Bring Orcas from Antibes to Sanctuary – Jan 2025

French Minister Opposes Transfer of Wikie & Keijo to Aquarium in Japan – Nov 2024

French Government Prioritizes “Well-being” of Captive Orcas Wikie & Keijo – Oct 2024

Whale Sanctuary Project is “Most Credible Innovative Solution” – Oct 2024

= = =

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Here is the full text of the Order in Council, which you can also view here:

October 21, 2025

The Governor in Council on the report and recommendation of the Minister of Natural Resources dated October 10, 2025, and pursuant to clause 16(1)(a) of Chapter 114 of the Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1989, the Crown Lands Act, is pleased to approve the Minister of Natural Resources:

(a) issuing a lease to The Whale Sanctuary Project, an extra-provincial corporation incorporated in the United States with an office in Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, or its successors, trustees or permitted assigns, for submerged and terrestrial Crown lands containing approximately 83.32 hectares (205.89 acres), as shown outlined in bold line on the plan marked Schedule “A” attached to and forming part of the Report and Recommendation, for the purpose of operating and maintaining a seaside sanctuary, including all related infrastructure, for a term of 20 years, with an option to renew for a further 20-year term; and

(b)  executing such documents as may be necessary to achieve the purposes of this Order.

The government’s Order in Council means that the Whale Sanctuary Project now has a clear path to begin construction and to raise the capital funds to complete the sanctuary and welcome the first whales.

We are grateful to the Nova Scotia government and the Minister of Natural Resources. This is a great day for the Whale Sanctuary and for the whales. We look forward to pressing ahead in every way to establish the Whale Sanctuary.

Over the coming days we will update you on the three primary aspects of our work going forward:

• The whales who are prospects for coming to the Nova Scotia sanctuary;
• Recent progress at the sanctuary and how you can support the capital costs of construction; health and behavior evaluations and medical care of the whales at their present locations; transportation and introduction to their new home; and their continuing care at the sanctuary;
• How the growing collaboration among non-profit organizations, marine parks and aquariums, and governments at all levels is paving the way for a global effort to bring an end to the captivity of whales and dolphins and to retire them to sanctuary.

Thank you for your support of the Whale Sanctuary Project. Your donation, large or small, is the key to completing this work and welcoming the first whales. Please contribute what you can and encourage others to do the same.

Together we can do this.

The post Government Clears Path Forward for Nova Scotia Sanctuary appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

A joint press release to French media from One Voice and the Whale Sanctuary Project, February 1st, 2024.

The French animal defender organization One Voice and the Whale Sanctuary Project, a U.S. non-profit organization, have agreed to work together toward Inouk, Wikie and Keijo, the three orcas at Marineland Antibes, being retired from commercial display and transferred to a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The agreement comes in the wake of the judicial court of Grasse calling for a pause on the transfer of orcas from Marineland Antibes to Japan pending an independent expert assessment and the Ministry of Ecological Transition launching a consultation process to study non-commercial solutions for captive whales. In light of these initiatives, our organizations now propose a collaboration with Marineland and the French Ministry of Ecological Transition.

“The Whale Sanctuary Project is the only current sanctuary project that can accommodate orcas,” said Muriel Arnal, President of One Voice. “We have cooperated on projects for several years and are now working together in offering to partner with Marineland to retire the whales to a more natural environment that will be most beneficial to their health and welfare.”

Wikie, Inouk and Keijo at Marineland Antibes. Copyright Nikola Krtolica

Collaboration an essential ingredient

The Whale Sanctuary Project emphasizes that the success of retiring the orcas to sanctuary will depend on a fully collaborative effort among the staff and management of Marineland, the Whale Sanctuary team, One Voice and other partners, along with government agencies.

This approach is modeled on earlier collaborative ventures. In 2019, the Whale Sanctuary Project worked with the Russian government, Russian animal protection groups and One Voice to successfully return to the ocean 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who had been captured illegally for sale to marine entertainment parks in China.

“Organizations that in the past might have been working against each other can successfully work together with shared values of respect and care for the animals.” And in 2023, members of the Whale Sanctuary team worked hand-in-hand with Miami Seaquarium staff through Friends of Toki, in a joint effort to return the orca Toki (also known by her display name Lolita) to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest, from where she had been captured in 1970. (Sadly, Toki died from chronic conditions including renal disease and pneumonia before she could be moved.)

“The impact of what was a first-ever, formal collaboration between a marine entertainment park and the animal protection community to care for a whale on site at a marine park cannot be underestimated,” said Charles Vinick, executive director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “It demonstrated that different organizations that in the past might have been working against each other can successfully work together with shared values of respect and care for the animals.”

Whale Sanctuary Project lease area, Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia

The sanctuary

The coastal sanctuary that the Whale Sanctuary Project is establishing is situated in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia. This protected bay will offer its resident whales more than 100 acres (40 hectares) of water space with depths up to 18 meters, allowing the whales to swim, dive and experience a natural seaside environment. They will be able to explore the seafloor, chase birds on the surface and spend their time in nature while benefiting from human care for the rest of their lives.

It will also ensure that the family group stays together. “Orcas are highly intelligent, emotionally sensitive and socially bonded animals,” said Dr. Lori Marino, founder and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “In the ocean, they live in strong family groups and their emotional and behavioral health is intimately connected with their social group.”

“They will not be stressed by being confined in a small space with orcas with whom they have no relationship.
A sanctuary will provide the best chance they have for a successful life.”Transporting whales to a new situation inevitably causes stress. But any such stress is multiplied exponentially when their destination is another entertainment facility where they must try to accommodate to living long-term in a concrete tank with orcas with whom they are entirely unfamiliar.

“By contrast, at an authentic sanctuary like at Port Hilford Bay,” Dr. Marino explained, “they will be able to stay together as a unit and not be stressed by being confined in a small space with orcas with whom they have no relationship. A sanctuary will provide the best chance they have for a successful life.”

Sanctuary standards

The sanctuary is being designed according to standards prepared jointly by the National Aquarium, Sea Life Trust and the Whale Sanctuary Project, and published by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

The National Aquarium is currently establishing a sanctuary in the Caribbean for its six dolphins, and Sea Life Trust operates a sanctuary in Iceland for two beluga whales who came from an entertainment park that was acquired by its founding partner Merlin Entertainments Group. Merlin Entertainments has a policy of not using cetaceans at any of its marine entertainment parks.

An accelerated plan

Given the urgency facing Wikie, Inouk and Keijo, the Whale Sanctuary Project has developed an accelerated approach to provide the absolutely necessary elements for accommodating the whales before completing the full sanctuary plan.

Phase One of the accelerated plan will include the engineering, fabrication and installation of a bay pen of approximately 6,500 square meters, along with temporary staff quarters and facilities, so that the orcas can be moved to sanctuary. In Phase Two, permanent sanctuary facilities are installed, along with the perimeter net surrounding the 404,000 square meters (100+ acres) of sanctuary water space.

Environmental studies

Over a three-year period since announcing the selection of Port Hilford Bay, the Whale Sanctuary Project has been conducting comprehensive environmental studies to ensure the suitability of the site for whales – and equally to be sure that the presence of the whales will not be detrimental to the local flora and fauna.

One of these studies is specific to Nova Scotia because of historical gold mining that took place across the province from the 1880s through the 1930s. Analyses of soil, water and invertebrate species at the site concluded that while the water throughout the bay is clean, the area onshore where there was once a stamp mill will need to be capped with soil, gravel or concrete at any places that may be disturbed by construction. There are also levels of arsenic sequestered in a small area of the seabed and in some samples taken from invertebrates that inhabit the seabed. We are engaged in consultations with scientists and other experts to determine whether mitigation is required.

A global sanctuary movement

Over recent years, public opinion has fueled a global movement to bring an end to keeping cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in captivity for the purpose of entertainment.

There are already hundreds of first-class sanctuaries all over the world for land animals, including for elephants, big cats, bears and great apes who had spent their earlier lives in zoos (both public and private) and circuses. In working cooperatively and in collaboration with the entertainment industry, we look forward to a time when cetaceans are no longer confined to concrete tanks and have all been retired to authentic sanctuaries.

Contact : Jessica Lefèvre-Grave
presse@one-voice.fr

#             #             #

Appendix A

About the Whale Sanctuary Project

Mission: We work to transform the way people relate to whales and dolphins by bringing an end to their exploitation and by creating seaside sanctuaries, assisting with international marine mammal rescues, and advancing whale and dolphin science.

Website: https://whalesanctuary.org

Dr. Lori Marino, President and Founder, is a neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and intelligence.

Formerly on the faculty of Emory University, she is internationally known for her work on the evolution of the brain and intelligence in dolphins and whales. In 2001, she co-authored the ground-breaking study that offered the first conclusive evidence for mirror self-recognition in bottlenose dolphins.

Charles Vinick, Executive Director, is known for his work as director of the Keiko Project, a pioneering effort that marshaled public and media support to reintroduce to the wild the captive orca made famous through the Free Willy films.

For 25 years, he worked closely with Jean-Michel and Jacques Cousteau (during his lifetime), managing the work of The Cousteau Society and Ocean Futures as well as serving as director of Parc Océanique Cousteau in Paris.

About One Voice

Mission: Through its in-depth work, which is submitted to the authorities, and its advocacy, One Voice has forged close links with the French Ministry of Ecology and members of parliament, and in recent years has obtained a ministerial decree and then a law aimed, among other measures, at bringing an end to dolphinariums in France. The association remains vigilant, beyond announcements and good intentions, to ensure that animals remain at the center of concerns.

One Voice also organizes rescues, such as the release of six dolphins captured in Haiti to be sold to dolphinariums, in cooperation with the Haitian government. It proposes solutions, notably by financing shelters and the creation of sanctuaries for animals that it has taken to court.

Muriel Arnal is the founding president of One Voice. She saw the suffering of exploited animals from a very young age when she discovered small circuses and zoos. Her admiration of the fight to save the gorillas and their natural habitat led by Dian Fossey as well as her meeting with Théodore Monod, who would be a supporter of the association, led her to create One Voice in 1995 for the ethics of animals and the planet. Having lived abroad, the participation of the association in big international coalitions was obvious to her: on animal experimentation (ECEAE), on fur (Fur Free Alliance), on dolphinariums (Dolphinaria-Free Europe). One Voice defends individuals, with a vision of uniting in our fights: for the animals, for humans, and for nature.

Website: https://one-voice.fr/

Contact

For more information and to schedule interviews with the Whale Sanctuary Project or One Voice, please contact:
Jessica Lefèvre-Grave
presse@one-voice.fr 

Appendix B

Background Notes re. the Whale Sanctuary Project

Whale sanctuary 100+ acres net placement – artist rendering

The Whale Sanctuary Team

The Whale Sanctuary team comprises experienced staff who have designed, built and installed sanctuary systems and bay pens. Out team provided special care for the orca Toki (also known by her display name Lolita) at the Miami Seaquarium and has been involved in cetacean rescue and rehabilitation work around the world.

The team’s executive director Charles Vinick is known for having directed the Keiko Project, a pioneering effort in the late 1990s that marshaled public and media support to reintroduce to the wild the captive orca made famous through the Free Willy films. His earlier work also included 25 years with Jean-Michel and Jacques Cousteau during which he managed the work of The Cousteau Society and Ocean Futures as well as serving as director of Parc Océanique Cousteau in Paris.

Our staff and advisory board include renowned cetacean scientists; orca trainers and veterinarians experienced in orca transport and conditioning; consultants and contractors who have fabricated and installed net enclosures and related infrastructure; and a network of contacts in government, the scientific community and environmental organizations who are available to help evaluate all aspects of developing and operating a whale sanctuary.

Site search and development

Selection of Port Hilford Bay as the most suitable location for a whale sanctuary came at the end of a three-year search that examined more than 130 sites on both sides of the North American continent and focused on three main factors: the essential physical criteria of land and water; potential impacts on and from local wildlife; and community interests, including concerns of local residents and commercial and recreational interests.

Port Hilford Bay was the one location that met – indeed exceeded – all three criteria when, in 2020, the citizens of nearby Sherbrooke approached the site selection team with its recommendation of the bay as a prime location.

Site development began with a host of environmental studies that included water levels, temperatures, tidal flows and water pressure through all seasons, acoustic doppler current profilers, multibeam sonar, a benthic survey, a complete hydrodynamic model of the region around the sanctuary, and a study of soil and water samples to see what mitigation measures might be necessary regarding heavy metals that are routinely found in tailings from historic gold mining in Nova Scotia (per press statement above).

More about the accelerated plan to meet the needs of Wikie, Inouk and Keijo

Phase One of the accelerated plan will include the engineering, fabrication and installation of a large bay pen, along with temporary staff facilities, so that the orcas can be moved to sanctuary while permanent sanctuary elements are installed.

The bay pen is a netted enclosure of approximately 6,650 square meters, that can be separated into two distinct spaces. It includes a medical lift in the middle section of the bay pen for veterinary care. It has net sides and is anchored to the sea floor providing the whales with enriching access to the flora and fauna on the bottom and introducing them to their ocean environment.

The bay pen includes a perimeter walkway and is structurally engineered so that boats and floating structures can be moored to it.

Phase Two calls for the full perimeter net to be installed encompassing the full 100-acre sanctuary waters and permanent sanctuary facilities to be constructed. The bay pen will then become an isolation area for necessary animal care, veterinary care and a facility for new arrivals before they are released into the full sanctuary.

Permits, leases and funding

The Whale Sanctuary Project has received and executed an Offer of Lease from the Canadian government’s Department of Natural Resources & Renewables. The Offer of Lease makes available a total water space of 201 acres that includes the 100-plus acres for the whales; the space needed for the anchoring system, a small island that provides shelter to the waters during storms, and a security zone. The lease will take effect after all permits have been issued.

A purchase agreement is in place for 30 acres of sanctuary lands, and the requisite funds are being held in a dedicated escrow-type fund pending completion of permitting.

The Wendy McCaw Foundation has pledged $5 million to be released upon completion of permitting. These funds will be used for construction of the sanctuary or for care of the whales over a ten-year period. We are in the process of securing further pledges contingent upon knowing that marine entertainment facilities are willing to work in partnership with us to retire their whales to the sanctuary.

Full details of sanctuary finances are available from the Whale Sanctuary Project’s “Form 990” as submitted annually to the U.S. government.

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In response to these reports, Jean-Michel Cousteau of Ocean Futures Society and Charles Vinick of the Whale Sanctuary Project have sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to support a ban on the capture of cetaceans for cultural and educational purposes. Our letter, which you can read below, expresses our hope that Russia will be a world leader in protecting whales and dolphins from the cruel practice of live capture of cetaceans for entertainment.

Last year, through our Whale Aid Russia program, Cousteau and Vinick led an international team to Russia to advise and assist the Russian Government on the release of orcas and belugas held in Srednyaya Bay. We were pleased to see the release of 10 orcas and 87 belugas back into wild ocean habitat and to see an announcement by the Vice Premier that the Russian Government decided to ban capture of cetaceans for cultural-educational purposes.  We were also pleased to see this announcement supported by Russian citizens, who gathered over 100,000 signatures through the “Russian Public Initiative” platform in favor of this ban.

Below is the letter.
(At the bottom of the page, use up/down arrows to go to next page and plus/minus symbols to zoom in or out.)

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We look forward to working together with the people of Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s who have opened their home and their hearts to the whales.

Below is a copy of the announcement, and we look forward to posting more news, photos and information over the coming days and weeks about the site and the people of the region.

Many thanks to all of you who have supported the Whale Sanctuary Project throughout this extensive search, and especially to our lead sponsor, Munchkin, Inc., makers of unique products for babies and children, without whom we could not have begun this project.

Port Hilford, Nova Scotia

Whale Sanctuary Project selects Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, for North America’s first sanctuary for captive whales

Will work with local community to create a permanent seaside home for whales retired from marine parks

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Feb. 26, 2020 – The Whale Sanctuary Project has announced that it will work together with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia to create a seaside sanctuary in Port Hilford for whales being retired from entertainment parks.

“Of the hundreds of locations that we’ve researched in British Columbia, Washington state and Nova Scotia, Port Hilford stands out as the premier location for a whale sanctuary,” said Charles Vinick, executive director of the Whale Sanctuary Project.

Port Hilford offers an expansive area that can be netted off for the whales in a bay that’s open to the ocean but is sheltered from storms. It has access to necessary infrastructure and plenty of room along the shore for the facilities that will be needed to care for the animals, as well as for an onsite education and interpretive center.

“It’s an ideal location for whales coming from marine parks and aquariums,” Vinick said, “You couldn’t ask for a more welcoming and eager community than the people of the Sherbrooke area.”

Intelligent and socially complex animals

The plan to locate a sanctuary in Nova Scotia comes in the wake of Parliament passing Bill S-203 in 2019 to bring an end to keeping whales and dolphins captive in Canada.

“Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent, emotionally sensitive and socially complex animals,” said Dr. Lori Marino, president of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “In the confines of a concrete tank at a marine park they suffer chronic stress and then often fatal illness. Relocating them to an ocean environment will give them a healthier life where they can thrive.”

Marino added that the whales captured the imagination of the people of Sherbrooke from the very first meeting. “They’ve been holding special activities for the kids,” she said. “It’s as though they’ve already made the whales part of their community. And the town already has the feel of a sanctuary.”

Support from local community

Dr. Stephen Flemming, executive director of Sherbrooke Village Museum, is delighted at the prospect of having a whale sanctuary nearby.

“The Museum, through the Rural Institute for Cultural Heritage and Environmental Sustainability, has been pleased to assist the work of the Whale Sanctuary Project to date, and looks forward to continuing its efforts to help see this project through to fruition,” he said. “I couldn’t be more pleased that this group of distinguished cetacean experts chose Nova Scotia for their first sanctuary.”

Minister Lloyd Hines, Member of Legislative Assembly for Nova Scotia, added that the Sherbrooke community is looking forward to playing host to North America’s first seaside whale sanctuary.

“We are truly honored to participate in this very special project,” he said.

Next steps

The next steps in working toward the creation of a sanctuary will be to work with local fishers and community members to further define the vision for the whale sanctuary, and to initiate the regulatory processes needed to establish the site.

The Whale Sanctuary Project’s objective is to have the sanctuary ready to receive whales in 2022.

Dozens of considerations went into selecting the best location for a seaside sanctuary: from water analysis to sea-floor conditions, to tides and currents, to potential impacts of local wildlife on the whales and vice-versa. Members of the organization visited locations along the south and the eastern shores, and met with communities in Shelburne, Liverpool, Port Hawkesbury and Sheet Harbour as well as Sherbrooke to seek proposals for potential sites.

“As important as the physical properties of the location are in deciding on a site location, we also knew that the relationship the sanctuary would have with its host community would be pivotal,” Vinick explained. “The Sherbrooke community has exceeded all our expectations.”

Plans for the sanctuary include a visitor center, nature trail and viewing spots. The sanctuary will also work with schools and museums to offer educational programs about the whales at the sanctuary and their counterparts in the wild.

Funding for the creation and operation of the sanctuary will be through private donations. Funding for the two-year search for an ideal site for the sanctuary has been led by Munchkin, Inc., makers of unique products for babies and children.

The mission of the Whale Sanctuary Project is to establish a model seaside sanctuary where whales and dolphins can be rehabilitated or can live permanently in an environment that maximizes well-being and autonomy and is as close as possible to their natural habitat.

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October 24, 2019

Statement from Jean-Michel Cousteau and Charles Vinick

We are pleased to see that the Russian Government, the Scientific Consilium, and the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) continue their efforts to release all the cetaceans held in captivity in Srednyaya Bay before the close of navigation season. Releasing the cetaceans is the best outcome for the welfare of the cetaceans themselves. To date, 10 orcas and 37 belugas have been released, meaning that 50 belugas must still be released. We understand that the Scientific Consilium recommends releasing the belugas in the area of Uspeniya Bay, near Lazovsky Nature Preserve.

This outcome is not ideal for the belugas, since this is not their normal habitat or the area where they were captured. Nonetheless, we trust the intention of Russian government authorities to release the belugas, despite limitations due to the availability of ships, inadequate finances, and weather conditions.

We believe it is very important and call on the Russian government to carry out short- and long-term monitoring of the activity of the 50 belugas after their release; we hope that the location will make it possible to carry out regular visual monitoring of the belugas for a full 30 days after release and actively over the first six months after release. We also hope that visual monitoring will help reduce concerns about threats from North Korean fishing vessels that we understand are poaching in the area and that the Russian government will do what is necessary to protect the belugas from repeat capture.

We also ask the Russian government to include independent Russian observers on both ships conducting the release and to publicize photo- and video-documentation of the beluga release as soon as possible after the release.

Jean-Michel Cousteau
Founder and President
Ocean Futures Society

Charles Vinick
Executive Director
The Whale Sanctuary Project

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Russian authorities have begun the transport of a third group of orcas from the “whale jail” on Russia’s Far East coast to the Sea of Okhotsk, where they will be released into the ocean.

In response to widespread criticism of the lack of transparency during and after the first two releases, the government has invited Greenpeace Russia to observe much (but not all) of this third release. Greenpeace, in turn, has asked the Whale Sanctuary Project to provide recommendations on how to conduct its mission most effectively. (A summary of our recommendations is at the end of this post.)

The lack of transparency has understandably led to a lot of rumor and speculation. So, here is our best understanding of the events of the past month, of the next steps in the government’s plan to return all 10 orcas and 87 belugas to the ocean by this coming fall, and of the Whale Sanctuary Project’s possible participation in future releases.

First, an update on what led to the decision to return the whales to the ocean.

Our visit to the “whale jail” and report to the Russian government

The cetaceans being held at the “whale jail” were captured illegally in the summer of 2018 by a consortium of Russian companies for the purpose of selling them to marine entertainment parks, mainly in China. But in response to global outrage when news broke about the plan, the Russian government intervened.

In April of this year, following our letter to President Vladimir Putin, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment invited Jean-Michel Cousteau and the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) to bring a team to Russia to assess the condition of the whales and to advise the government on a rehabilitation program with a view to their being returned to ocean waters.

Jean-Michel Cousteau (left), Gov. Oleg Kozhemyako and Charles Vinick at signing ceremony in Vladivostok.

After Cousteau and Charles Vinick, Executive Director of WSP, signed an agreement with the Governor of Primorsky region that the whales should be “released back into their natural environment,” we studied the whales in their sea pens in Srednyaya Bay and then submitted our assessment to the Ministry and to the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), along with recommendations for rehabilitating the whales and then returning them to the ocean .

The Russian government accepted a number of our most important recommendations, including that the whales should be returned to ocean waters close to where they were captured and not into Srednyaya Bay where they were being held. However, the government did not accept all our recommendations – for example, that all of the animals should spend some time in a sea pen at their place of release to be sure that they were sufficiently re-adapted to life in the ocean.

On June 20th, during his annual “Direct Line” televised phone-in with the Russian people, President Putin announced that Russia was beginning the process of returning the whales to the ocean. (Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeyev added that the government would change the law in order to ban hunting whales for “educational and cultural purposes” – a loophole in Russian law used to capture these whales.)

First and second releases

The Russian government contracted with the same companies that had originally captured the whales to transport them to the location of their release.

The first release included two orcas and six beluga whales and involved an 1,100-mile, six-day truck journey to Nikolaevsk on the Amur River for release in the Sea of Okhotsk, close to where they were captured last year.

The transport encountered a severe storm and the operation overall led us to raise serious questions about how it had been conducted.

Three weeks later, three more orcas were transported and released in what was reported to be a considerably smoother operation.

   
Photos supplied by the VNIRO Institute which is overseeing the release on behalf of the Russian government.

Among the positive observations was when two of the orcas – a male and a young female – were lowered into the ocean around Cape Perovskogo in the Sea of Okhotsk. The two remained in the release area, rather than heading straight out to sea, until the third orca, an older female, was lowered into the ocean. She hurried to join the other two, and all three headed out to sea together.

A few days later, however, the crew of a fishing boat reported that an orca had approached their boat and that they had hand-fed her some fish. A photo they’d taken confirmed that she was the younger female, known as Aleksandra. Fortunately, Aleksandra did not continue to look for more food from the fishing boat, and subsequent reports are that she has moved further out to sea where other whales are reported to be.

The third release

On July 30th, the VNIRO Institute announced the launch of a third transport and release that would include three orcas: a large female, a male and a young female.

One of the orcas is loaded onto a ship for transport to the release site. Photo by Greenpeace.

VNIRO added that these three orcas have lived in the same enclosure and represent an established social group; that although they do not appear to be members of the same family, they have developed a stable team relationship whose leader is the larger female; and that the younger female is reportedly about six years old, has a calm and sociable nature and relates well to the other two orcas.

Russian scientists are hopeful that “such a composition of the group increases the chances of a successful return of orcas to their natural habitat, a possible connection with a family of wild relatives or the formation of their own family.”

Russian authorities have invited Greenpeace Russia to observe the release and report on it. Greenpeace, in turn, has asked the Whale Sanctuary Project for input on specifics as to what should be noted during their observations. Our recommendations to Greenpeace include:

• what kinds of videos and photos should be taken before, during and after the transport/release;
• what to observe regarding feeding and hydration of the orcas;
• how they are placed into slings for transfer into and out of their transport crates;
• frequency of changing the water in the crates;
• frequency and type of massages during transport to help exercise their muscles;
• how to listen for unusual vocalizations;
• whether they are able to spend time in a sea pen to acclimate themselves prior to release into the open ocean;
• how long the whales are being followed (preferably up to 48 hours) and by whom.

Will the Whale Sanctuary Project conduct independent observation of future releases?

The VNIRO Institute continues to be in regular contact with the Whale Sanctuary Project team, and we are in ongoing discussions with them about all the concerns that have been raised in the media and elsewhere regarding the releases so far.

For example, while satellite tags attached to each whale can provide daily updates on their locations (although at least one tag is not functioning), more comprehensive monitoring protocols and equipment are needed if we are to know how the released animals are doing and what can be learned for future releases so that the whales are given the best possible chances for success in their return to the wild.

Charles Vinick is also discussing with VNIRO the need for an independent team of observers to monitor the transport/release program, how such a team would operate, and how members of the Whale Sanctuary Project team can provide the most added value to this work.

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For Immediate Release: July 15, 2019

SEATTLE – Starting July 16, the Whale Sanctuary Project will kick off a series of public meetings across the Salish Sea region to discuss its concept for a home in the San Juan Islands for orcas who are retired from entertainment parks, and that can also serve as a rehab/rescue facility for the endangered Southern Resident orcas.

“Last summer we all had a front row seat to Tahlequah’s ‘tour of grief,’ when she carried her dead baby for 17 days, and then again for the demise of the young orca Scarlet. This is part of an ongoing tragedy that we can’t look away from,” says Dr. Lori Marino, founder and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “Southern Resident orcas continue to struggle for survival, so we need to be able to quickly and effectively assist NOAA in supporting these dire cases, as well as righting a wrong that goes back decades.”

The plight of Southern Resident orcas has led to an all-hands-on-deck emergency, with the Washington state legislature passing numerous pieces of legislation to help our ailing orcas. The Southern Residents’ struggles date back to the 1970s, when, over the course of a decade, about 300 orcas were captured in the Pacific Northwest and sold for profit to entertain tourists in marine parks. The Southern Residents have never recovered from the decimation of their numbers, and their progeny continue to live totally unnatural lives in concrete tanks.

The Whale Sanctuary Project will address both these issues: It will provide a permanent home in a natural habitat for orcas who are retired from entertainment parks. And it will serve as a first line of defense for our ailing wild orcas. Rather than rescue teams having to scramble for a sea pen and veterinary assistance each time a crisis arises with one of the Southern Residents, the sanctuary will be a fully-staffed facility standing by to help any whales who live-strand or need special care so that they can be assisted and returned to their families as quickly as possible. (A rendering of the sanctuary can be viewed here.)

Over the last two years, using nautical charts, computer maps and recommendations from locals, the Whale Sanctuary Project has researched dozens of possible sanctuary locations in the Pacific Northwest.

“We are focusing on four central considerations,” says Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “Physical criteria for the locations themselves; suitability for long-term sanctuary and for rescue and rehabilitation; concerns for wildlife; and compatibility with local communities and other stakeholders. We’ll be discussing all of these during the public meetings, as well as other community questions and concerns.”

The Whale Sanctuary Project is working closely with the people of the Lummi Nation of the Pacific Northwest, for whom the Southern Resident orcas are qw’e lh’ol’ me chen – “the people who live under the water.”

“We are honored to be collaborating with the Lummi Nation as they work to return Sk’aliCh’elh- tenaut (the captive orca Lolita) to her family,” Vinick says, “and to work toward creating a model sanctuary that can also serve free-ranging whales who may need assistance.”

Public Meeting Details (all events are public and open to the media)

Olympia – Tuesday, July 16, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Capitol Room
415 Capitol Way N
Street parking and small adjacent lot.

Gig Harbor – Wednesday, July 17, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
Ocean5 – Atlantic Ocean Meeting Room
5268 Point Fosdick Dr.
Parking on site.

Seattle – Thursday, July 18, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
Great Hall at Green Lake – Great Hall
7220 Woodlawn Ave NE
Paid underground parking below PCC Community Market (one block from venue)

San Juan Island (Friday Harbor) – Sunday, July 21, 2 p.m. (doors open at 1:30)
Brickworks Event Center
150 Nichols St.
Plaza parking and street parking.

Orcas Island (Eastsound) – Tuesday, July 23, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
Emmanuel Episcopal Church – Parish Hall
242 Main St.
Street parking.

Lopez Island – Wednesday, July 24, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
Woodmen Hall
4102 Fisherman Bay Rd.
Parking on site.

Please contact us with any questions.

Liz Banse, liz@resource-media.org , 206-261-3185 (m)
Dr. Lori Marino, lorim@whalesanctuary.org
Charles Vinick, charlesv@whalesanctuary.org

The mission of the Whale Sanctuary Project is to establish a model seaside sanctuary where whales and dolphins can be rehabilitated or can live permanently in an environment that maximizes well-being and autonomy and is as close as possible to their natural habitat.

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The meetings will be held in Olympia, Gig Harbor, Seattle, San Juan Island, Orcas Island and Lopez Island.

A home for retired captive orcas that’s also a rescue & rehab facility.Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, and Charles Vinick, Executive Director, will present their vision for a 60 – 100 acre seaside sanctuary that will serve two purposes: It will care for orcas who have been retired from life in concrete tanks at marine parks and aquariums; and it will act as a full-service veterinary and “urgent care” facility in the San Juan Islands for free-ranging orcas who live-strand or need special assistance in a controlled setting prior to being returned to their pod.

The team is looking forward to making a visual presentation and engaging in discussion with the local communities in the Puget Sound area to hear their input on the sanctuary idea, answer all questions, and discuss all concerns. That’s because any successful sanctuary involves a partnership between the organization creating it and the community that embraces it.

We hope everyone will come out to these meetings to meet Lori and Charles and hear about the Whale Sanctuary Project.

Town Meeting Details

Olympia – Tuesday, July 16, 7pm (doors open at 6:30)
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Capitol Room
415 Capitol Way N
Street parking and small adjacent lot.

Gig Harbor – Wednesday, July 17, 7pm (doors open at 6:30)
Ocean5 – Atlantic Ocean Meeting Room
5268 Point Fosdick Dr.
Parking on site.

Seattle – Thursday, July 18, 7pm (doors open at 6:30)
Great Hall at Green Lake LLC – Great Hall
7220 Woodlawn Ave NE
Paid underground parking below PCC Community Market (one block from venue)

San Juan Island (Friday Harbor) – Sunday, July 21, 2pm (doors open at 1:30)
Brickworks Event Center
150 Nichols St.
Plaza parking and street parking.

Orcas Island (Eastsound) – Tuesday, July 23, 7pm (doors open at 6:30)
Emmanuel Episcopal Church – Parish Hall
242 Main St.
Street parking.

Lopez Island – Wednesday, July 24, 7pm (doors open at 6:30)
Woodmen Hall
4102 Fisherman Bay Rd.
Parking on site.

Please contact us with any questions.

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June 27, 2019: Serious questions are being raised about the care of the orcas and beluga whales who are being returned to the ocean from the “whale jail” in Russia.

Although our team has not yet received full video and other documentation that will help our specialists assess the condition of the whales, video and photographs from people who were present during the release of the first group of two orcas and six belugas into the Gulf of Sakhalin increased our specialists’ concerns about aspects of the release.

“The health and welfare of the animals has to be the overarching concern.”We are, of course, still pleased that the Russian government made the decision to release the orcas and belugas into the Sea of Okhotsk. As Vice Premier Gordeev said during President Putin’s “Direct Line” phone-in with the Russian people on June 18th, this was the “only right decision.”

However, it appears that the operation did not incorporate the most critical recommendations that the Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team had delivered to the Russian government.

“What appears to have been missing is the kind of detailed contingency planning that’s key to a successful release,” said Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “The logistics in such a large-scale operation are highly complex, and one has to ask whether sufficient time is being provided to ensure the health and welfare of the animals.”

Photos by VNIRO

We have other questions, too. These would include:

• What, if any, rehabilitation of the whales took place prior to transport?
• What plans were in place to mitigate stress on the animals from the six-day truck transport,  and to condition them for release back to the ocean?
• What steps were taken to release the orcas and the belugas at different times and in different places, bearing in mind that these marine mammal-eating orcas are potential predators of beluga whales.
• What surveys, if any, were conducted to make sure that the whales would be released when members of their family and social groups would be nearby?

“The lack of information and data makes it impossible for our international team of specialists to evaluate the severity of these concerns,” Vinick said. “A rehabilitation and release project of this scope and complexity needs experienced, international and Russian specialists, along with independent observers, so that there is full transparency and so that the kind of questions now being raised can be answered.”

The Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team is ready to provide international expertise upon request from the Russian government.

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Footage of whales and Whale Aid team by Harry Rabin.

“Along with our Whale Sanctuary Project international team, Charles Vinick and I have been closely following the progress of Russia’s planned release of orcas and belugas illegally caught last year. I want to commend Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian government officials for making the decision to release these orcas and belugas back into the waters where they were captured. As Vice Premiere Gordeyev said last week, this was the ‘only right decision.’

“Six belugas and two orcas have been transported in a long and complex operation. The eyes of the world are focused on this difficult operation. A release of this scale – 10 orcas and 87 belugas – has never been done before.

“This operation is so complicated and so important that Russia must have the best specialists from around the world available to help where needed. I am hearing concerns from the public about the lack of transparency that we have seen so far with the operation.

“I therefore recommend that the Russian government include international specialists and Russian observers. I want to again state that I and our international team are prepared to assist in every way we can. I remember, when I was in Moscow, that Minister of Natural Resources Dmitry Kobylkin said to us directly that we must all be part of a unified team to see this release through to its successful end.

“Let’s do everything in our power to make sure that this is a success, so that President Putin and I can together celebrate the incredible achievement of returning 10 orcas and 87 belugas to their families and to their home. That will be a great day for the oceans and for humanity!”

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June 24, 2019: A paper published today in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior assembles an unprecedented body of evidence to support a clear link between chronic stress and high morbidity and mortality in captive orcas. (Download the complete paper here.)

The paper demonstrates that the poor well-being and high mortality rates of orcas (killer whales) in captive facilities can be explained by known effects of chronic stress and its association with immune system dysfunction, disease and disorder in mammals.

A clear link between chronic stress and high morbidity and mortality.The paper represents a unique collaboration among marine mammal researchers, veterinarians and physicians, who have applied well-accepted scientific models of chronic stress in humans and other animals to extensive evidence for insufficient well-being of orcas living in concrete tanks.

The authors review the neuroscientific, cognitive, behavioral, ecological and physiological make-up of orcas and explicate how each of five inter-related situations inherent to living in marine theme parks and aquariums (social stress, confinement, sensory disturbance, lack of control and boredom) are related to chronic stress and disorders. Examples include:

• Social: Artificially-formed social groups and frequent transfers in and out of facilities disrupt mother-calf bonds, perpetuating a cross-generational cycle of poor maternal care and negative impacts;
• Confinement: Inadequate depth and horizontal space in tanks prevent the expression of species-specific movement and lead to behavioral anomalies and physiological de-conditioning;
• Sensory disturbance: Exposure to loud artificial sounds both above and below the water surface e.g., fireworks, audience noise, construction and filtration system noise creates anxiety and sensory interruption. Additionally, the concrete tank walls create an abnormal acoustic environment;
• Lack of control: Loss of autonomy and control over daily activities leads to the well-known stress-related psychological condition known as learned helplessness, which manifests as depression, lack of motivation, impaired learning, anorexia, and eventual immunocompromise;
• Boredom: Daily monotony and lack of appropriate challenges in such a large-brained complex animal, lead to immobility (increased logging behavior on the surface), depression, irritability and increased anxiety.

“The scientific evidence has been building over the years showing that orcas fare poorly in concrete tanks because of the mismatch between their natural adaptations and life in these facilities,” said neuroscientist Dr. Lori Marino, senior author on the paper.

The authors bring expertise in both marine mammal and human clinical science to articulate a reasonable, empirically-based account of a link between chronic stress and increased morbidity and mortality in orcas kept in concrete tanks.

They demonstrate that because of the intelligence and social complexity of orcas, life in marine theme parks and aquariums is fundamentally at odds with their nature and that a new paradigm is required in their treatment in order to better meet their complex needs.

“Intelligence – meaning cognitive complexity – can be a liability, rather than a buffer, for these animals as they attempt to cope with life in artificial barren settings,” Dr. Marino said.

The authors conclude that increased access to veterinary records would allow this model to be more directly tested for this species.

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This morning, Russia began the process of returning to ocean waters the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who were captured last year and have been living in what has become known as the “whale jail” in the country’s Far East.

The first eight animals – two orcas and six beluga whales – began an 1,100-mile, six-day journey to the Shantar Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, the area where they were caught last year. They are traveling in water reservoirs installed in trucks and are being monitored by 70 specialists, including veterinary doctors and scientists. Each whale will be accompanied by two people and will be equipped with a GPS tracker before release.

Photo by Yuri Smityuk/TASS

The transport and release program is being supervised by the Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) Vyacheslav Bizikov. The Whale Sanctuary Project team worked with the Institute during and after our visit to Russia in April to assess the whales in their sea pens. After the visit, we sent a detailed report and recommendations to the government, and we have been in regular contact with the Institute since then.

The most critical aspect of our input was that the whales should be returned to ocean waters close to where they were captured. And an initial decision to release them directly into the bay next to the sea pens where they are being held was overruled.

“This is a good day for the whales.”This morning, Bizikov communicated with Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project, to express his thanks for the help that our team has provided.

“We are trying to use as much of your input as we can,” he wrote.

“We are gratified to see that the orcas and belugas are being transported to the Sea of Okhotsk for release,” Vinick later said. “And we wish VNIRO and the release team every success in returning these orcas and belugas to the open ocean. This is a good day for the whales.”

Our original recommendations for release included a longer period of time for rehabilitation. But time is now of the essence in getting the whales back to the ocean before winter sets in. And the order in which the groups will be transported can allow for those who need more time and preparation.

The announcement of today’s transport was made this morning by President Putin during his annual four-hour “Direct Line” televised phone-in with the Russian people. A state TV reporter introduced the announcement, saying that by “coincidence” the operation began just before the start of the show.

Putin commented on the release of the whales, saying that the problem was “not easy to solve” since the orcas alone were worth $100 million and there were many potential buyers.

“Wherever there’s big money there are always difficulties with solutions, but thank God the process has begun,” he said.

Russia intends to clamp down on the capture of whales.Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeyev added that the “right decision was taken on the recommendation of scientists” to release the mammals in their native habitat.”

Russia will also clamp down on the capture of whales, Gordeyev told Putin during the call-in show. He said that the government would change the law in order to ban hunting whales for “educational and cultural purposes” – a loophole used to capture these whales.

“This is a momentous decision,” Vinick said. “We are very pleased to hear that Russia has stated that they will change this policy. It should signal the end of the capture and sale of orcas and beluga whales from Russia to entertainment parks, primarily in China.”

During the discussion of the whale release program in President Putin’s Direct Line phone-in, Deputy Prime Minister Gordeyev added that the “right decision was taken on the recommendation of scientists” to release the mammals in their native habitat, and that it will take “around four months” to release all the whales in the groups that they have been living in.

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June 17, 2019

Respected Vladimir Vladimirovich,

I was honored to visit your amazing country and the Primorsky Region in April to work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Primorsky Administration and scientists from VNIRO to assess the health and condition of the orcas and belugas currently held in Srednyaya Bay.

I would like to ask you to please make a final decision ordering the release of all orcas and belugas in the areas where they were captured, as has been recommended as the optimal variant by Russian Consilium scientists and our international team.

If you make such a decision, I would be honored to come to personally meet with you and your team to ensure that this release is executed well and is completed successfully.

With deep personal respect,

Jean-Michel Cousteau.

The post Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Letter to President Putin appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

Today, the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly in favor of Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act. The bill phases out the captivity of cetaceans (i.e. whales, dolphins and porpoises) in Canada, except for rescues, rehabilitation, licensed scientific research, or cetaceans’ best interests. It also prohibits the trade, possession, capture and breeding of cetaceans.

“This is a major victory for cetaceans,” said Dr. Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, who testified at Senate hearings in 2017. “They are among the most cognitively complex of all animals. Confining them to life in a concrete tank is truly unbearable for them.”

Only two facilities in Canada house cetaceans: the Vancouver Aquarium, which has a Pacific white-sided dolphin, and Marineland in Niagara Falls, which holds a lone orca, Kiska, and more than 50 beluga whales. The bill permits these facilities to keep them but not to breed them.

The bill took nearly four years to work its way through Parliament. Sponsored in the Senate in December 2015 by Sen. Wilfred Moore, it was opposed, blocked and obstructed by special interests. Forty witnesses, six experts from the Whale Sanctuary Project, testified at 17 committee hearings.

“We have a moral obligation to phase out the capture and retention of animals for profit and entertainment,” Moore said after today’s vote. “Canadians are calling upon us to do better – and we have listened.”

Moore himself had not been able to see the bill through to its final reading in the Senate, last year, since he had reached the compulsory retirement age of 65. His place was taken by the renowned Sen. Murray Sinclair, who spoke of plans to create a seaside sanctuary so that whales and dolphins could be retired from captivity:

“The intention of this sanctuary is to provide a place where rescued whales and dolphins can be rehabilitated for release while living in an environment that maximizes their well-being and autonomy in a setting as close as possible to their natural habitat, or where they might remain permanently if unreleasable.

“… Let’s not forget the creatures living in the concrete tanks. And let’s not forget the wild cetaceans who may yet face violent capture from their family groups for the purpose of display for human entertainment. That’s what this bill is about and why it matters so much.

“… Given the scientific knowledge presented by experts about the biological characteristics and needs of cetaceans during the study of this bill, it is evident that it is cruel to keep cetaceans in captivity.

“We, I believe, do not want to be cruel. We should not allow others to be, either.”

And Senator Daniel Christmas noted that no testimony had been possible, of course, from the people who will be most affected by the vote: the whales themselves.

“A lot of the argument talked about the human need to research the species … but I wish it were possible to get the testimony of a cetacean,” he said. “If I had the opportunity to ask a beluga, I believe I would ask them: ‘What is best for your family?’”

The bill passed in the Senate in October 2018 and then moved to the House of Commons, where it was championed by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

“Canadians have been clear, they want the cruel practice of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity to end,” she said after today’s vote.

“With the passage of Bill S-203, we have ensured that this will happen.”

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“It will be the summer period for sure,” Dmitry Kobylkin said. “We would like it to happen as soon as possible. I think it will be July or August; August is the deadline.”

While Kobylkin’s comments do not constitute a formal decision on the part of the Russian government, they do represent a clear step forward.

Kobylkin added that, based on his discussions with experts, the whales will be ready to re-adapt to the ocean by then. “I talked to the person with the most profound knowledge of the issue, Jean-Michel Cousteau,” he said. “The [animal] skills cannot be lost in one year.”

At a press conference at the Ministry in April, Cousteau and Whale Sanctuary Project Executive Director Charles Vinick had cautioned that each animal will need to be evaluated and rehabilitated individually.

“Each of the animals is an individual and has to be treated as an individual,” Vinick told reporters. “In Srednyaya Bay, the challenge for rehabilitation and release is complex. And therefore, we need to work together to identify a strategy for rehabilitation and for reintroduction or release of as many of those animals, one by one, as is possible.”

He added that because the whales have been in captivity a relatively short time, this will be an advantage in their rehabilitation.

The following week, after the Whale Sanctuary Project team had traveled to Srednyaya Bay and spent several days observing the whales, we reported to the minister that we were optimistic about a successful release program:

“Preliminary results of the behavioral analyses conducted by the Team show that all orcas and belugas in the holding facility at Srednyaya Bay can be rehabilitated and released. The Team has not identified any scientific reasons why any individual animals cannot be rehabilitated and released.”

Various plans have been put forward for where and when the whales should be released. Minister Kobylkin told TASS that the Russian Scientific Research Institute of Fishery and Oceanography endorses the same plan that the Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project team proposed in its report to the ministry: to release the whales where they were captured – off the Shantar Islands.

The Whale Sanctuary Project considers this to be the most responsible rehabilitation and release program, and we remain committed to providing expertise and assistance to facilitate it.

The post Russian Ministry Presses for Summer Release of Captive Whales appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

The following press release states that we do not support such a plan for the orcas and could not participate in it. Instead, we call on the government to adopt the comprehensive rehabilitation and re-adaptation plan for the orcas and belugas, which offers the best chances for their successful re-introduction to life in the wild.

A .pdf copy of this press release, in Russian and English, can be accessed here.

Press Release
May 17, 2019

Jean-Michel Cousteau Urges Government of Russian Federation to Reconsider Plan for Release of Orcas Held in Srednyaya Bay

The Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project international team calls on the Russian authorities to re-evaluate the plan to release the orcas in Srednyaya Bay.

The plan announced on Wednesday May 15, 2019, to release the 10 orcas from the holding facility directly into Srednyaya Bay by late May/early June does not take into account the recommendations of our international team of marine mammal specialists, nor does it comply with the optimal release option agreed to by the Working Group of the VNIRO Consilium for adaptation/re-adaptation of orcas and belugas that met on May 14.

“It puts the well-being of these orcas at undue risk and compromises their long-term survival,” Cousteau said. “We cannot support or participate in this plan.”

The most important consideration in the release plan should be the well-being of the orcas and belugas and their long-term survival. The plan must provide for their highest likelihood for successful social reintegration and the highest likelihood of matching the animals with the best habitat for foraging. Returning these orcas and belugas to locations near where they were captured most effectively meets these objectives.

Releasing the orcas in Srednyaya Bay as suggested during a briefing held at the Ministry of Natural Resources on May 15 meets none of these success criteria. And, if done in the short timeline outlined, the plan does not allow sufficient time to re-condition the orcas’ behavior from captivity for life in the wild. Among the risks of this release plan are that the orcas:

1. Will not have proper diagnostics and treatment of the skin lesions they currently exhibit;

2. May introduce invasive pathogens to the environment;

3. Will return to the Srednyaya facility for food;

4. Will become a nuisance to local boaters, fishermen and the public by stealing fish from and getting caught in nets, begging for food, and approaching boats;

5. Will be unsuccessful in re-adapting to the open ocean and may not survive.

A comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation and re-adaptation of the orcas and belugas offers their best chances for successful re-introduction to life in the wild and will address the risks listed above. To maximize opportunities for successful release, the orcas must go through a full rehabilitation plan that includes sufficient time for:

• Complete health assessments and diagnostic tests of each animal, including sampling to identify pathogens and comprehensive morphometrics;
• Treatment of all treatable conditions – such as skin fungal and bacterial infections;
• Improvement of the physical conditioning of the orcas by increasing their pen size to enable better opportunity for exercise;
• Strengthening existing family groupings of orcas by reconfiguring the orcas into pens based on associations in capture records;
• Minimizing human contact by:
  – Disassociating food from people by deploying remote feeding devices and feeding varying amounts (whilst ensuring that the full ‘food base’ for each animal is given) and varying the times of deployment. These modifications all begin to simulate the animals’ natural rhythms and help stimulate the animals’ cognitive abilities;
  – Discontinuing any training and human interaction beyond what is medically necessary for evaluation, treatment and appropriate rehabilitation;
• Decreasing surface-oriented behavior by increased underwater stimulus using enriching natural sources of stimulus, such as seaweed, water flow, bubbles, etc.;
• Final health assessment on all animals prior to release into the wild, to mitigate the potential for the orcas and belugas currently held in Srednyaya Bay to introduce pathogens to the wild population.

Although this rehabilitation program cannot be accomplished in the limited time-frame outlined in the May 15 briefing, it can be initiated immediately while, simultaneously, plans can be made to return these orcas and belugas to locations near where they were captured, where there are associated orcas and belugas, and where there are appropriate and available food sources. We believe that a responsible and thorough release plan can be implemented for both orcas and belugas prior to winter.

Cousteau said his team remains committed to providing expertise and assistance to facilitate a responsible rehabilitation and release program, and to help mobilize international resources should such assistance be needed.

“I believe Russians and people throughout the world will support such a plan,” Cousteau said. “But we cannot support or participate in a release plan that jeopardizes the health, welfare and survivability of these animals.”

####

Press contacts:

English language:
Charles Vinick
cvinick@mac.com
+1-805-252-5421 (WhatsApp)

Russian language:
Grigory Tsidulko
gtsidulko@gmail.com
+7-910-441-9841 (WhatsApp)

The post Plan to Immediately Release Orcas in Srednyaya Bay Should Not Be Adopted appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

The following press release highlights the observations and recommendations that our Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project team has submitted to the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute on Fisheries and Oceanography, which coordinates implementation of fishery research plans and programs in the Russian Federation.

A .pdf copy of this press release, in Russian and English, can be accessed here.

Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team Recommendations for Release of Orcas and Belugas from Srednyaya Bay

Released in Russia on May 15, 2019

A team of world-renowned international and Russian scientists and marine mammal specialists, led by Jean-Michel Cousteau, has prepared detailed recommendations for VNIRO and the Ministry of Natural Resources for the release of orca and belugas, currently held in captivity in Srednyaya Bay, into their natural habitat.

The team underscored that there are numerous reasons to believe that release of the orca and belugas held in Srednyaya Bay would be successful if conducted responsibly and with the welfare of the animals at the forefront of their rehabilitation and release. The team also said that any release must be preceded by a period of rehabilitation, designed specifically for the demands of the release strategy and the individual welfare needs of each cetacean.

The team evaluated three different options for potential release of the orcas and belugas. The team also provided an overview of transport and release options and key considerations for successful release.

The team determined that release of the orcas and belugas in reported capture (or adjacent) locations near associated wild populations and available prey yields the highest prospects for successful long-term survival. This approach has the highest likelihood for successful social reintegration, the highest likelihood of successful foraging, is the most scientifically robust option, and takes into account the widest range of welfare considerations for long-term success.

A second option, if capture records are not accurate, is to release the orcas and belugas in strategic locations based on records of conspecifics and prey availability. This approach provides benefits of suitable habitat with suitable prey availability, and whales released near conspecifics, increasing the chance that they could potentially integrate into the wild groups.

The team reviewed a third option – release directly in Srednyaya Bay – and identified a high number of significant risks. Although this approach is logistically simple and inexpensive, this approach includes risks of challenges with negative behaviors and habituation of the orcas and belugas, including the potential for them to keep returning to the area. The cetaceans may develop nuisance behaviors, such as removing fish from lines and nets. Additionally, aggressive behaviors observed in some of the orcas at the Srednyaya Bay facility may continue post-release if the animals are released in the nearby area, which could pose a concern for people and small vessels. Release in Srednyaya Bay is least likely to allow for social reintegration, leads to likely long-term costs, and diminished potential for survival of the cetaceans.

Following its review, the Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team recommends:

• Complete health assessments, medical diagnostics, and treatment of any ailments prior to release to prevent transmission of unknown pathogens to wild populations;
• Rehabilitation in advance of release for both the orcas and belugas;
• Transport to reported capture (or adjacent) locations near associated conspecifics and available prey;
• Acclimatization period in remote sea pens;
• Release from remote sea pens;
• Post-release monitoring.

The team stated that for maximum chances of success, it is imperative that release of all releasable orca and beluga happen during the 2019 summer season. Due to the tight timeline to accomplish release this year, a decision regarding release and implementation of a responsible strategy needs to be initiated as quickly as possible.

“The science is clear,” said Jeff Foster, Scientific and Field Team Leader for the Jean-Michel Cousteau Team. “Releasing the orcas and belugas in or near their capture locations would be the most responsible approach, and provides the highest likelihood of successful release and long-term survival.”

“The Russian Government has an opportunity to be a global environmental leader by releasing the orca and beluga in a responsible way,” said Jean-Michel Cousteau. “I am confident that Russian government officials, when they look at the science, will decide on what’s best for the orcas and belugas – to release them back to the habitat from where they came. That will be a great day for the ocean, and for our humanity.”

Press contacts:

English language:
Charles Vinick
cvinick@mac.com

Russian language:
David Gordon
davidkgordon@protonmail.com

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Preliminary Assessment and Recommendations Regarding Orcas and Belugas Held in Srednyaya Bay (Primorsky Region)

An Executive Summary
Prepared by the Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team
April 22, 2019

The Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team (the “Team”) was invited by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and by the Governor of Primorsky Krai to visit the Srednyaya Bay (Primorsky Region) facility, where orcas and belugas are held, to assess their condition and provide recommendations on their rehabilitation and feasibility of their return to their natural habitat.

Team members have extensive scientific and field research experience on rescue of cetaceans in the wild, developing rehabilitation plans and protocols, and releasing cetaceans back to their natural environments.

The team prepared and submitted a preliminary assessment and recommendations to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Primorsky Administration, and to the VNIRO-coordinated Consilium, which has been charged with making scientifically-based recommendations about the fate of the orcas and belugas held at the Srednyaya Bay facility to authorized Russian government bodies. The preliminary nature of the Team’s assessment is dictated by time constraints and the request to provide the team’s assessment in advance of the Consilium meeting planned after April 15, 2019. Limited data has been analyzed in the available timeframe. A final report will be compiled upon completion of full data analysis.

Data collection was limited due to restricted access to the animals. However, basic behavioral (via photo and video imagery above and underwater), as well as acoustic recordings (above and underwater), were obtained.

Preliminary results of the behavioral analyses conducted by the Team show that all orcas and belugas in the holding facility at Srednyaya Bay can be rehabilitated and released. The Team has not identified any scientific reasons why any individual animals cannot be rehabilitated and released.

Team members observed that the holding facility appeared to be kept clean and organized. However, they documented insufficient space in the pens and too high density of animals, leading to significant overcrowding. Most (if not all) individuals exhibited skin issues and/or mouth sores indicative of other potential health concerns, which can and should receive diagnostic work-ups and treatment as part of individually developed rehabilitation plans. Team members noted that the facility does not have an adequate location to quarantine sick or injured animals, and also noted biofouling on nets.

The team noted that the orcas and belugas generally appear well fed, have apparently received only minimal training, and exhibit no indicators suggesting that they cannot be released into the wild after appropriate short-term medical and behavioral rehabilitation. Orcas may require just 1-2 months of rehabilitation. Most belugas may also require only short-term rehabilitation. However, some belugas in the younger age range may potentially require longer rehabilitation before release. Duration estimates for rehabilitation are based on the limited access to the facility that was provided to the team and therefore the team’s rehabilitation duration estimates may change based on additional information.

Individually specific plans for rehabilitation of the Srednyaya Bay cetaceans for release are yet to be developed. These would be prepared for each individual based upon further work/analyses by the team in cooperation with Russian scientists. A release operation plan needs to be developed in cooperation with regional and federal government authorities and other appropriate interested parties. The location of capture for each individual, as well as the location of closely associated wild populations and prey availability, should be incorporated into the release plans. Team members agree with the assessment that the orca are of the ecotype known to forage on marine mammals and that they should be released within the known foraging range of this ecotype in the Sea of Okhotsk.

The team made a set of recommendations that can and should be implemented as soon as possible to improve the health and welfare of the cetaceans at Srednyaya Bay and prepare them for release to the wild. Recommendations cover such key matters as further individual health assessments and monitoring (for example, full medical work-ups and relevant health sampling for each individual, individual treatment plans, and an appropriate medical and quarantine area); net pen management (for example, enlarge pens and provide more room per animal; remove side panels on orca enclosures to increase airflow; install water pumps to improve turn-over of water); changes to feeding methodologies (for example, re-focus attention of the cetaceans underwater by using feeder tubes, feed at variable times and in variable amounts to mimic natural conditions); adaptation, re-adaptation, and rehabilitation (for example, stop any training and implement appropriate use of enrichment and stimulants to re-focus the attention of the animals underwater); and site management (for example, extra sanitary foot baths, remove biofouling on nets). The team expects that additional recommendations will be made with the preparation of the full report.

During the course of our visit, members of our team met twice with Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment D.N. Kobylkin to discuss mutual interest in rehabilitation and release of the orcas and belugas. Governor of Primorsky Region O.N. Kozhemyako, Jean-Michel Cousteau and Charles Vinick agreed to and signed a joint statement to confirm that release of all of the orcas and belugas is a fundamental goal and to work immediately to hold the cetaceans in conditions that are most like their natural environment.

In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by FSBSI “VNIRO” and the Team to support further cooperative work. A next step is to review the laboratory samples taken by VNIRO in conjunction with our behavioral analyses to begin to develop profiles for each orca and beluga to inform individualized rehabilitation plans.

The Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project Team stands prepared to further assist Russian authorities and collaborate with Russian scientists in the successful release of the orcas and belugas held in Srednyaya Bay back to the wild.

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WHALE AID – RUSSIA!

Russia invites Whale Sanctuary Project to visit illegal “whale jail” where 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales are confined in appalling conditions.
Visit to be led by Jean-Michel Cousteau.

April 4th, 2019

A team of experts, brought together by the Whale Sanctuary Project and led by explorer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau, has arrived in Moscow for a meeting at Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to help and advise the government on how 97 illegally captured orcas and beluga whales can be rehabilitated and returned to the ocean.

The invitation comes in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin having tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with determining the future of the whales.

The team’s mission will be to assess the condition of the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who are being held in sea pens, commonly referred to by Russian media as a “whale jail,” and to advise the Russian government on their health and how best they can be returned to the open ocean.

The Russian government has stated that the whales were captured illegally last year by a consortium of four companies whose apparent intention was to sell them to marine entertainment parks in China.

They have been languishing in icy water throughout the bitterly cold Russian winter. At least three of the original whales are no longer in the pens and are assumed to have died, and others have serious skin wounds and appear to be suffering from the cold and loss of energy.

The Whale Sanctuary Project team is led by Executive Director Charles Vinick, who managed the reintroduction of the orca Keiko to his home waters off the coast of Iceland in the 1990s.

“We look forward to providing our experience, expertise and assistance for the welfare of these orcas and beluga whales,” Vinick said.

The team will meet with government officials and scientists on April 4th at the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment in Moscow. After the meeting, there will be a joint press conference at the Ministry, and the team will then travel to Srednyaya Bay, where the whales are being held, to be there from April 6th to April 11th.

Russian law allows for whales to be held for scientific and educational purposes, but the whales in Srednyaya Bay were apparently destined for neighboring China, where there are already at least 76 dolphinariums and marine parks, and at least 25 more planned for construction over the next few years.

While public opinion in most countries is no longer in favor of keeping whales and dolphins captive in concrete tanks as a form of entertainment, marine display shows are multiplying in Asia. Approximately 954 cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), of at least 12 species, are currently on display in China. Most of them were captured from the wild and imported, primarily from Japan and Russia.

The primary mission of the Whale Sanctuary Project is to establish a model seaside sanctuary where whales and dolphins can be rehabilitated or can live permanently in an environment that maximizes well-being and autonomy and is as close as possible to their natural habitat. It is the first organization focused on creating seaside sanctuaries in North America for orcas and beluga whales who are being retired from entertainment facilities or have been rescued from the ocean and need rehabilitation or permanent care.

Members of the Whale Sanctuary Project team are among the leading experts in rescue, rehabilitation and transport of whales and dolphins. 

Media Contact:
Michael Mountain
The Whale Sanctuary Project
877-942-5399
michaelm@whalesanctuary.org

###

The post Whale Aid – Russia: News Release appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

A team of experts, brought together by the Whale Sanctuary Project team and led by explorer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau, has received a formal invitation from Russia’s Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources to visit Srednyaya Bay on Russia’s Far East coast.

Our mission there will be to assess the condition of the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who are being held in sea pens, commonly referred to by Russian media as a “whale jail,” and to advise the government on their health and how they can be returned to the open ocean.

The Whale Sanctuary Project has set up a special fund to meet the costs of this initial visit.

Your donations to this fund are greatly appreciated.

The whales were captured illegally last year by a consortium of four companies whose apparent intention was to sell them to marine entertainment parks in China.

Three of the original whales are no longer in the pens and are assumed to have died.They have been languishing in icy water throughout the bitterly cold Russian winter, and there are conflicting reports on their condition. When a recent inspection concluded that “there is no threat” to the health of the whales, the national newspaper Izvestia noted that these conclusions “raise questions among some scientists, [who] do not trust the organization conducting the survey.”

What we know for sure is that three of the original whales are no longer in the pens and are assumed to have died, and that others have serious skin wounds and that they appear to be suffering from the cold and loss of energy.

Along with Cousteau, the Whale Sanctuary Project team is led by Executive Director Charles Vinick, who managed the reintroduction of the orca Keiko to his home waters off the coast of Iceland in the 1990s. Other members include Jeff Foster and Ingrid Visser who are among the leading experts in whale and dolphin rehabilitation and release, and Russian veterinarian Tatyana Denisenko.

In his reply to the invitation from the Director of the Ministry, Vinick writes:

“Jean-Michel Cousteau offers his and his team’s assistance … to return these orcas and beluga whales to marine waters close to where they were caught and where their populations are found, or to other appropriate open ocean water habitats with sufficient food resources …

“We look forward to providing our experience, expertise and assistance for the welfare of these orcas and beluga whales.”

The Russian press is now reporting that an investigation has been launched into the illegal capture and abuse of “aquatic animals.” Russian law allows for whales to be held for scientific and educational purposes, but the whales in Srednyaya Bay were clearly destined for neighboring China, where there are already at least 76 dolphinariums and marine parks, and at least 25 more planned for construction over the next few years. Approximately 954 cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), of at least 12 species, are currently on display in China. Most of them were captured from the wild and imported, primarily from Japan and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture with determining the future of the whales.

The full Whale Sanctuary Project team will be departing for Russia on April 3rd and will be assembling in Srednyaya Bay to work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as well as Russian scientists.

The post Russia Issues Formal Invitation to Visit “Whale Jail” appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

The Whale Sanctuary Project is organizing a team of experts from non-profits and other NGO’s to go to Srednyaya Bay in Primorsky Region on the Far East coast of Russia and assess the condition of the orca and beluga whales being held there.

Jean-Michel Cousteau, explorer, environmentalist and special advisor to the Whale Sanctuary Project, has been invited by the Governor of the Primorsky Region to visit the notorious so-called “whale jail,” where 10 orcas and 87 belugas are languishing in icy sea pens.

The team is prepared to travel to Srednyaya Bay as soon as approval is given by the federal government.

The mission will be to take stock of the whales’ health and to advise Russian authorities on a plan to rehabilitate them and to assist in preparing the whales to be returned to open ocean waters where there is sufficient prey.

Simultaneously, members of our Board and Advisors, including Naomi Rose, Ingrid Visser, Don Baur, Heather Rally, Jeff Foster, Katy Foster, and Lori Marino have been participating in a letter from scientists, coordinated by Mark Palmer of Earth Island Institute, that presents the scientific evidence against keeping these whales in captivity. They have included numerous scientific papers to provide data to Russian leaders.

The whales were captured from the Sea of Okhotsk, on the east coast of Russia, by a group of companies who reportedly intended to sell them to entertainment parks in China. (A single orca can fetch more than $6 million in the booming Chinese theme park industry.)

Worldwide outrage at the treatment of these whales has been growing since the time the first whales were captured last summer. In January, Cousteau, Charles Vinick of the Whale Sanctuary Project, David Phillips of Earth Island Institute (and Whale Sanctuary Project board member), and Roger Payne of Ocean Alliance sent a letter to President Putin, commending the Russian Government for prohibiting the sale of these whales to China and offering assistance in the release. The Governor of Primorsky Region responded with an invitation for Jean-Michel Cousteau to come to the Region.

Well-known personalities have joined the campaign to save the whales. In February, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who has worked with President Putin on other wildlife projects, asked his followers on Twitter to “join me in speaking out against the inhumane capture of orcas and belugas in Russia” by signing a petition on Change.org. The petition has so far garnered more than a million signatures.

On March 1st, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin had “made the relevant order” and that the President hoped “the problem around the killer whales will be resolved in a very short time and that they will be released.”

In response to this news and to the public invitation from Oleg Nikolayevich, Governor of the Primorsky region, Cousteau sent him a personal letter, offering his assistance.

“We hope that our experience can assist the Russian government and scientific community develop and implement a plan for the cetaceans in Srednyaya Bay,” he wrote to the Governor. “I strongly believe that the best outcome for the orcas and belugas is to be rehabilitated and returned to the wild, not to be committed to a life in captivity in aquariums. I and my team stand ready to assist Russian authorities to make a successful return of the orcas and belugas to the wild a reality.”

Cousteau and Vinick have worked together on many projects on behalf of marine life, with Vinick serving for more than 25 years as Vice President of Ocean Futures Society and the Cousteau Society. So, together, with the team, they formulated the plan to travel to the Primorsky Region and provide assistance for the release of the whales. The team they have assembled will include:

• Jean-Michel Cousteau, oceanographer, environmentalist;
• Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) and senior advisor to Cousteau;
• Jeffrey Foster, WSP marine mammal expert and researcher, rehabilitation and release specialist;
• Ingrid Visser, PhD, marine mammal scientist and orca research, rehabilitation and release specialist, and WSP Advisory Group member;
• Katy Foster, WSP marine mammal researcher, rehabilitation and release coordination and documentation;
• Grigoriy Arkad’evich Tsidulko, marine mammal research specialist, expert of IUCN cetacean working group; former beluga whale trainer;
• Tatyana Evgenyevna Denisenko, Veterinarian, Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology of the K.I. Skryabin Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology;
• Tatiana Beley, Director and co-founder of “Delfa Center” and specialist in dolphin rescue and release.

The health and wellbeing of the whales has been declining by the day. Three of the belugas and one orca are no longer present in their tanks and are assumed by observers to have died.

Also, most, if not all, of these orcas and belugas are young. So, they will need to be released in waters where adult members of their populations are likely to be and where there is sufficient food for them.

In addition to the evaluation of the health of the animals, another critical factor will be developing a safe and practical program to transport and release the whales. With 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales being held in these pens, every step in the process must be very carefully planned and implemented.

Members of our team have the necessary experience to advise the Russian authorities on the preparation and initiation of such a plan. But Cousteau is emphasizing that time is of the essence if the whales are to be restored to a healthy condition so that they can be released to the open ocean.

Next: The Whale Jail in Srednyaya Bay

The post Expert Team Prepares to Visit Notorious “Whale Jail” appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

UPDATE: Whale Sanctuary Project Community Information Meeting Details:

• Dartmouth – Thursday, Jan 31st, 7.00 pm. Alderney Landing (The Rotunda), 2 Ochterloney Street;
• Liverpool – Friday, Feb 1st, 6.30 pm. Astor Theatre, (Gorham Room) 219 Main Street;
• Port Hawkesbury – Monday, Feb 4th, 6.30 pm. Civic Centre, 606 Reeves Street;
• Sherbrooke – Wednesday, Feb 6th, 6.30 pm. Fire Hall, 91 Old Road Hill;
• Sheet Harbour – Thursday, Feb 7th, 6.30 pm. Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 58, 23566 Nova Scotia Highway Trunk 7.
• Shelburne Area – Saturday Feb 9th, 1 pm. Parish of Christ Church Hall, 128 Hammond Street, Shelburne.

Non-Profit Group Seeks Community Partner for Whale Sanctuary in Nova Scotia

HALIFAX, NS, January 29th, 2019
The Whale Sanctuary Project is holding a series of public information meetings over the next 10 days to identify communities in Nova Scotia that may be interested in becoming home to a seaside sanctuary for beluga whales being retired from entertainment parks.

The meetings will be held in Dartmouth, Liverpool, Port Hawkesbury, Sherbrooke and Sheet Harbour.

“We see this as an opportunity for the host community as well as for the whales who will live in the sanctuary for the rest of their lives,” said Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the non-profit organization. “There would be economic benefits including the creation of an education centre, an on-going need to purchase tons of frozen fish to feed the whales, as well as full and part-time jobs to be filled by local residents. Beyond these benefits, a community can take pride in the good they are doing for these whales.”

Public opinion continues to shift away from keeping highly intelligent and far-ranging marine mammals in tanks.

“Whales and dolphins have a highly complex sense of self,” said Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, who is also a neuroscientist. “They suffer greatly spending their lives in concrete tanks, and the only way to end their suffering is to relocate them to a permanent seaside sanctuary, where they can receive expert care in a natural environment.”

Right now, Parliament is poised to enact a ban on keeping any more whales and dolphins at entertainment facilities, and a seaside sanctuary will provide the space and autonomy the whales need in order to thrive.

The organization is looking for a 40-hectare area (just under half a square km) along the Atlantic shore of Nova Scotia that can become a home to whales who are retired from entertainment facilities or who are injured and need rehabilitation within a netted-off area. Sanctuaries already exist for land-based animals like elephants and chimpanzees who come from zoos and circuses. But there are none yet for whales and dolphins.

“Most of them have never learned survival skills, so they cannot be released into the open ocean,” Vinick explained. “But a seaside sanctuary will give them a chance to thrive in a stimulating natural ecosystem.”

At the upcoming meetings, Marino and Vinick will discuss what a sanctuary will look like and how it can play a positive role in the local community.

“We realize that people have questions and concerns about such a novel project,” Vinick said. “Some will be interested in potential environmental impacts. And local fishers will want to be assured that their livelihoods are preserved. We share these concerns and we want to work with everyone to figure out whether a sanctuary is a good fit for your community.”

If you think your coastal community could be well suited to a sanctuary, the Whale Sanctuary Project would be pleased to hear from you. You can contact them by email at charlesv@whalesanctuary.org.

To learn more about the project and meet Lori and Charles, the public is invited to attend the community information meetings.

For more information visit: https://whalesanctuary.org/our-work/.

Media contact: Mary Ellen MacIntyre: 902-989-3522

The post News Release in Nova Scotia appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

And now here we are again. On Thursday, September 14th, another member of the “J” pod of Southern Resident orcas was declared dead by the Center for Whale Research. Four-year-old Scarlet (J-50), sick, starving and emaciated, had not been seen for more than a week.

Scarlet had had a difficult start in life. Rake marks seen along her body soon after she was born suggested that she’d been a breech baby and that family members had midwifed her out of her mother Slick (J-16).

But she was a vibrant and energetic youngster who soon became something of a celebrity – a wildlife photographer’s dream – as she would launch herself out of the water in a perfect arc, nose pointing to tail, over and over again.

It didn’t last. By age three, she was looking thin and clearly weaker. And by the time she approached age four, she was the size of a two-year old.

Joe Gaydos, a wildlife veterinarian with the SeaDoc Society, called her “the thinnest killer whale I have ever seen.” But as sick as she was, Scarlet was determined to keep up with her family in their daily travels through the Salish Sea in search of food.

“She was like this little Energizer bunny that just keeps going and going, and definitely captured our hearts,” Dr. Gaydos said.

*           *           *

Scarlet with her family in mid-August. Photo by Katy Foster/Whale Sanctuary Project under NOAA permit 18786.

Scarlet’s family was already in trouble. A dwindling supply of their main diet, chinook salmon, along with a growing supply of environmental and noise pollutants, was making life harder for the three pods – J, K, and L – that make up the subspecies known as the Southern Resident Killer Whales. And since they are now designated an officially endangered population, it was up to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to determine whether action should be taken to save Scarlet’s life, and if so how much. Any decision would have to take into account that orcas have especially strong social and family ties. And human interference with Scarlet could cause added stress to the rest of the pod.

We would not support her transfer to a display park or aquarium.

More than a dozen organizations collaborated under the auspices of NOAA in the effort to save Scarlet’s life. The Whale Sanctuary Project team was led by our site-search and rehab coordinator Jeff Foster. One of the world’s experts in cetacean rescue, Jeff supervised the rehab of the orphan orca Springer in 2002 and the humane capture of sea otters during the Exxon Valdez oil spill. And his dolphin rescue work during Hurricane Katrina won him the honor of being named by NOAA as Environmental Hero of the Year.

Setting aside their work at possible sanctuary locations in British Columbia and Washington, where they were conducting environmental analyses, Jeff and Katy (his wife and rescue partner) worked with NOAA and the other organizations to develop the protocols to help Scarlet, and Katy also documented the rescue effort. (Most of the photos and videos in our updates were taken by her.)

And since NOAA could not fund the costs of the participants, we were grateful to all of you whose donations made it possible for us to be involved.

From the beginning, we made it clear that we would take part in the effort as long as Scarlet continued to swim free with her family group. Only if she were to live-strand or become separated from them would we then support taking her to an ocean-based sea pen for temporary treatment prior to returning her to her pod. And under no circumstances would we support transferring her to an entertainment park or aquarium.

Jeff Foster prepares to take a breath sample from Scarlet. Photo by Katy Foster/Whale Sanctuary Project under NOAA permit 18786.

As the plan took shape, the protocol that Jeff recommended required that the team would first collect breath and fecal samples for analysis. Then Scarlet would receive antibiotics and other medication through injection (via a dart) or by offering her medicated fish. If her condition still deteriorated, there would be an option to pick her up – but only if she were acoustically separated from her family.

Once on board a boat, she would be examined and given medication, and preferably be put straight back in the ocean. But if her condition demanded it, she could be brought to a sea pen for more treatment and to build up her weight to the point where she could be returned to her family.

Springer being treated in her sea pen in 2002. Photo by Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada.

Something similar had been done 16 years earlier when an ailing orca, known as Springer, began approaching boats. She was taken to a sea pen, where she was fed and medicated for a month and then taken up to British Columbia and reunited with her Northern Resident pod.

The rescue/rehab was a major success, and Springer has since given birth to two calves. And while Scarlet’s situation was different (for starters, Springer was considered an orphan), the same sea pen was still available.

Scarlet did get two antibiotic shots, but she continued to decline, and so plans were made to pick her up if she were to become acoustically separated from her family.

But the rescue team never found her in a situation where they could pick her up. The last time she was seen was on September 7, when she was lagging up to a mile behind the rest of the family but still acoustically in touch with them.

Keeping tabs on the pod was difficult in itself, since orcas can travel up to a hundred miles a day. But when we next saw the family, a couple of days later, Scarlet’s mother Slick was not among them. We guessed that she had gone to be with Scarlet and had stayed with her until the youngster could no longer hold her head above the water.

And when we next saw Slick, she was back with the rest of the family, but with no further sign of Scarlet.

*           *           *

It has always been part of our plan that at any sanctuary we create for captive whales, rescue and rehab of free-ranging whales will also be part of our work. But Scarlet’s plight propelled us into that side of our mission earlier than expected.

We couldn’t save her, but we believe the effort was worthwhile, both in itself and for the future. That’s because sooner or later – probably sooner – there will be another Southern Resident orca in trouble. And when that happens, and if the team that worked together from the start of this mission can collaborate again, then Scarlet will have left a legacy of hope for the future of her family.

The post In the Wake of Scarlet appeared first on The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature.

“There has been much discussion over the past couple of days about the next steps that should be taken to help Scarlet. The Whale Sanctuary Project supports continuing treatment for Scarlet while she is free-swimming with her family group. Only if she were to live-strand or to become separated from her family would we support taking her to an ocean-based sea pen for temporary treatment prior to returning her to her family. Under no circumstances would we support transferring Scarlet to an entertainment park or aquarium.”

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This news – and the fact that attendance at SeaWorld’s theme parks fell a further 5.5% to 20.8 million last year – continues to confirm that the public no longer embraces the SeaWorld visitor experience and the keeping of whales and dolphins in concrete tanks.

The important issues going forward are the policy implications of SeaWorld’s financial crisis for the whales and dolphins they hold for entertainment.

The company has made some incremental changes in recent years, including a pledge to stop breeding orcas and the introduction of a less theatrical show at one of its theme parks.

However, ending the breeding still leaves 21 orcas living out their lives in concrete tanks and a continuing lack of public interest in what SeaWorld is offering. If the company is to regain public confidence and interest, it needs to bring an end altogether to keeping these highly intelligent animals in concrete tanks.

The Whale Sanctuary Project is moving forward with the creation of the first seaside sanctuary for captive orcas and belugas. We invite SeaWorld and the other marine entertainment parks and aquariums to work with us toward a new future for captive whales and dolphins.

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SANTA BARBARA, CA—July 19, 2017— Conservationist and author Carl Safina hopes to help write a new chapter in the care of captive whales, joining forces with The Whale Sanctuary Project to establish the first permanent whale sanctuary in North America.

“I am honored to be joining the board of the Whale Sanctuary Project and to help in whatever way I can,” said Safina, Ph.D., the author of seven books, including Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel and the founding president of The Safina Center at Stony Brook University. “This is about enlarging our circle of compassion to include lifetime care for captive or injured whales and dolphins.”

“We are thrilled to have the support and help of one of the top scientists in the field of conservation biology,” said Lori Marino, Ph.D., president of the Whale Sanctuary Project and herself an expert in animal behavior and intelligence, who founded the project last year with a group of other scientists, conservationists and advocates. “We are putting key building blocks in place to make the dream of a sanctuary a reality.”

Marino said part of the foundational work is the move by current board member Charles Vinick, a well-known executive and ocean and environmental policy specialist, to the role of executive director of the project.

“Charles not only has led not-for-profits and served as CEO of environmental technology companies, he’s been at the center of ambitious, visionary ocean-related projects,” Marino said. “For 25 years, Charles worked closely with Jacques and Jean-Michel Cousteau—father and son—helping them establish, grow and sustain multiple initiatives.”

Vinick served as director of the journey of Keiko, the whale of Free Willy fame.

The immediate focus of the Whale Sanctuary Project is on identifying sanctuary sites. Vinick said a team from the project is zeroing in on potential sites in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Washington state. The group plans to narrow its list to a handful of locations this summer, with a final decision planned for the end of the year.

An estimated 62 killer whales are living in captivity in marine theme parks and aquariums worldwide.

Simply releasing the whales currently in concrete tanks into the oceans is not an option; that’s why a sanctuary is needed, Vinick says.  Many of the whales were born in captivity and have never been outside the walls of tanks. The project would provide an oceanic enclosure that is as similar as possible to the natural habitat of the orcas, where the animals – while still receiving human care– would have expansive spaces to swim and dive, the chance to interact with their natural environment, and freedom from being forced to perform.

Marino said the sanctuary would be more than a retirement home for whales who have outlived their performing days.

“The presence of a sanctuary will serve to demonstrate how our relationship to these magnificent animals is changing, potentially enabling all captive whales to live in natural environments and –one day– ending the practice of theatrical performances,” Marino said. The sanctuary also would serve as a center for injured or sick free-ranging whales, she added.

Marino said the group is planning for a sanctuary that could be home to six to eight whales — ideally a cold-water inlet, bay or cove that would be big enough (around the size of an average city park) to allow the whales to swim and dive freely.  Sea nets would separate the sanctuary from the open ocean and provide any necessary separation within the sanctuary. An on-site and virtual education center is planned, along with fully-staffed veterinary and food storage facilities. The total cost is estimated at between $15 million and $20 million.

The project was launched in 2016 with an initial grant of $200,000 from Munchkin, Inc., the global baby products company. The company followed up with a matching grant of $300,000 this year, and has pledged a total of at least $1 million toward completion of the sanctuary.

To donate, go to www.whalesanctuaryproject.org/. The group aims to match the $300K Munchkin grant before the end of the year.

Munchkin founder Steven Dunn was moved to donate after seeing the documentary Blackfish and learning more about the lives of captive whales. The company has its own “Orcas Live in Oceans” campaign to raise awareness of the plight of captive whales and to support the Whale Sanctuary Project.

# # #

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This was the topic of a hearing held by the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on Thursday, March 30th in Ottawa, regarding Bill S-203.

Whale Sanctuary Project President Lori Marino and Advisory group member Hal Whitehead testified about claims made by the captivity industry regarding the educational and research value of keeping whales and dolphins in concrete tanks.

In her testimony, Dr. Marino discussed her analyses of the research output of the Vancouver Aquarium and Marineland and summarized her conclusion that little-to-no research with captive dolphins and whales has made an impact on conservation research in Canada.

She also discussed her previous findings that there is currently no convincing evidence for the claim that seeing dolphins and whales on display in concrete tanks has any educational value.

Dr. Hal Whitehead is a University Research Professor in the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University, whose research focuses on social organization and cultural transmission in deep-water whales, and on their ecology, population biology and conservation. He discussed the importance of research directly with wild populations of whales and dolphins and the many ways we can analyze their social behavior, culture, and communication systems non-invasively applying computer-modeling methods to data from free-ranging groups in the wild.

In answer to questions from the Senators, Dr. Marino also discussed the mission of The Whale Sanctuary Project and the fact that the search for a suitable sanctuary site includes many possible locations in Nova Scotia and British Columbia (as well as Washington State).

The complete video of the hearing is here. And you can download a transcript (lightly edited for accuracy and to remove procedural interchanges) here.

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Whale Sanctuary Project to Create Seaside Sanctuary for Whales and Dolphins

WASHINGTON, DC, May 5 2016 – It’s the dawn of a new era for whales and dolphins retired by entertainment facilities or unlikely to thrive in the wild, thanks to a new, independent organization with plans to establish a model seaside sanctuary.

Launched today with generous support from Munchkin, Inc., The Whale Sanctuary Project is creating a seaside sanctuary where cetaceans – whales, dolphins, and porpoises – can live permanently in an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible and with full support for their well-being.

Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent animals who have complex social lives, and public opinion is increasingly opposed to keeping them captive in concrete tanks. The new non-profit fields a team of experts in marine mammal science and behavior, veterinary medicine, husbandry, engineering, law and policy, to lay the groundwork for the creation of permanent cetacean sanctuaries. This all-star team is tasked with producing a viable plan for construction and management of a North American sanctuary, and to select the most suitable location to ensure a better future for captive cetaceans.

The new non-profit organization is headed by Dr. Lori Marino, executive director of The Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy, Dr. Naomi Rose, marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute, and David Phillips, co-founder and executive director of Earth Island Institute and director of the International Marine Mammal Project.

“There are sanctuaries for other large, highly social, and wide-ranging mammals, including elephants and great apes, but there are none anywhere in the world yet for dolphins and whales,” said Marino, a neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and cognition formerly on the faculty of Emory University. “Cetacean sanctuary initiatives are long overdue, and we now have the best possible team of experts to ensure an optimal quality of life and care for individual cetaceans.”

The planned sanctuary will primarily serve orcas, belugas and dolphins endemic to colder waters who are retired from entertainment facilities, and injured or ill animals rescued from the ocean. Rescued animals may be rehabilitated and returned to the wild, but those retired from the entertainment industry, who have never known life in the wild, are considered unlikely candidates for release and so would be given lifetime care. The sanctuary would be open to the public on a regularly scheduled basis, in a manner that avoids disturbing the animals, and would offer comprehensive conservation and education programs.

The Whale Sanctuary Project has received an initial donation of $200,000 from Munchkin, Inc., an award-winning, global baby product company. Munchkin, Inc. previously launched its “Orcas Live in Oceans” campaign to raise awareness of the plight of captive whales, and removed the orca toy from its popular bath toy collection. The company has also pledged a total of at least $1 million toward completion of the project.

“Munchkin has long favored a natural coastal ocean sanctuary as an alternative solution to maintaining orcas in captivity, so we are eager to support The Whale Sanctuary Project’s efforts on behalf of cetaceans retired from the entertainment industry,” said Steven Dunn, CEO and founder of Munchkin. “We are dedicated not only to these majestic mammals, but also to helping parents and children understand what they can do to help orcas and others live the rest of their lives happily and safely.”

Funds from Munchkin will be used for an extensive site search, which involves studying the unique geographic, oceanographic and anthropogenic conditions of a number of possible coastal locations, and a strategic plan for building and operating the sanctuary as well as transport and care of the first animals.

Staff, board members and advisors of The Whale Sanctuary Project represent some of the world’s most experienced scientists, clinicians, engineers, attorneys, business experts, and marine animal advocates. They include biologists, wildlife veterinarians, zoologists, university researchers and former trainers from marine animal parks.

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