Orca Kohana Dies at Loro Parque Zoo

Loro Parque Zoo announced the death of the orca Kohana at the young age of 20. We should be shocked. ...

Posted September 16, 2022 in News

New Legislation Would End Whale Captivity in United States

A bill has been introduced into the United States Congress to prevent the future capture and breeding of whales for ...

Posted July 28, 2022 in News

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

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

Posted November 8, 2021 in News

Shocking Government Report on Miami Seaquarium

New and deeply disturbing facts in a government report about life for the orca Lolita and other marine mammals at ...

Posted October 6, 2021 in News

Of Mice and Orcas

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

Posted September 27, 2021 in News, Opinion

Crisis at Marineland Canada

Last week, Kiska the orca at Marineland Canada became news all over the world when video was posted of her ...

Posted September 15, 2021 in News

Why Captive Cetaceans Have Been Dying

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

Posted August 26, 2021 in News, Opinion

Orca Skyla Dies at Loro Parque Zoo

Following the death of the orca Skyla, Loro Parque Zoo offered a very brief statement on the necropsy. Here are ...

Posted March 22, 2021 in News

Another Infant Beluga Dies at Shedd Aquarium

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

Posted September 20, 2020 in News

Letter to Russian Government re. Ban on Capture of Cetaceans

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

Posted May 30, 2020 in For the Media, News

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

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

Posted December 31, 2019 in News, Opinion

Long Gone Wild

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

Posted October 24, 2019 in News

Third Group of Orcas Released from Whale Jail

Russian authorities have begun the transport and release of a third group of orcas from the “whale jail.” In response ...

Posted August 2, 2019 in For the Media, News

Release of First Orcas and Belugas from “Whale Jail” Raises Growing Concerns

Serious questions are being raised about the care of the orcas and beluga whales who are being returned to the ...

Posted June 27, 2019 in For the Media, News

Jean-Michel Cousteau and Whale Sanctuary Project Team on Returning Whales to Ocean

Russia has begun the process of returning the whales that were illegally captured last year back to the area where ...

Posted June 26, 2019 in For the Media, News

Effects of Chronic Stress on Captive Orcas

A new paper demonstrates that the poor well-being and high mortality rates of orcas (killer whales) in captive facilities can ...

Posted June 25, 2019 in For the Media, News

Russia Begins Transport of Whales for Return to the Ocean

Russia has begun the process of returning to ocean waters the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who were captured ...

Posted June 20, 2019 in For the Media, News

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Letter to President Putin

Letter from Jean-Michel Cousteau to President Putin regarding the 97 orcas and beluga whales who were captured in order to ...

Posted June 17, 2019 in For the Media, News

Canada Bans Captivity of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises

The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly in favor of Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act. ...

Posted June 10, 2019 in For the Media, News

Russian Ministry Presses for Summer Release of Captive Whales

Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources & the Environment says plans are now moving ahead to return the captive orcas and ...

Posted June 7, 2019 in For the Media, News

Whale Aid Russia Begins Stage Two

We have completed the first stage of our work on behalf of the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who ...

Posted May 17, 2019 in News

Plan to Immediately Release Orcas in Srednyaya Bay Should Not Be Adopted

The Jean-Michel Cousteau / Whale Sanctuary Project team does not support the new plan, announced by Russian authorities on May ...

Posted May 16, 2019 in For the Media, News

Recommendations for Release of Orcas and Belugas from Srednyaya Bay

The Russian government is currently assessing recommendations for rehab and release of the 97 orcas and beluga whales who were ...

Posted May 14, 2019 in For the Media, News

Russian Consilium Mirrors Assessment of Whale Sanctuary Team

Announcement from Russian institute VNIRO mirrors assessment of Whale Sanctuary Project team that all orcas and belugas in captivity at ...

Posted April 25, 2019 in News

Report on Orcas and Belugas Held in Srednyaya Bay

Executive summary of the report to the Russian Government regarding the 10 orcas and 87 belugas being held in sea ...

Posted April 24, 2019 in For the Media, News

Russian Governor Signs Agreement to Free Captive Whales

The Russian government has affirmed that the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales being held captive at the “whale jail” ...

Posted April 10, 2019 in News

Whale Jail: From Global Outcry to International Cooperation

What began as a global outcry has evolved into a work of international cooperation. Yesterday, in Moscow, people of many ...

Posted April 5, 2019 in News

Press Conference in Moscow – Full Video

Two videos from today’s news conference with the Whale Sanctuary Project at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in ...

Posted April 4, 2019 in News

Russia Invites Whale Sanctuary Project to Visit Whale Jail

The Russian government has invited the Whale Sanctuary Project to visit the illegal “whale jail” on Russia’s Far East coast, ...

Posted April 2, 2019 in News

Russia Issues Formal Invitation to Visit “Whale Jail”

The Whale Sanctuary Project has brought together a team of experts, led by oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau, to visit the notorious ...

Posted March 29, 2019 in For the Media, News

Expert Team Prepares to Visit Notorious “Whale Jail”

The Whale Sanctuary Project is organizing a team of experts from non-profits and other NGO’s to go to Srednyaya Bay ...

Posted March 19, 2019 in For the Media, News

The Whale Jail in Srednyaya Bay

The Whale Sanctuary Project is organizing a team of experts to go to Russia and assess the condition of 10 ...

Posted March 19, 2019 in News

The Case Against Keeping Whales & Dolphins Captive

In their report “The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity,” Naomi Rose and Chris Parsons lay out in plain English ...

Posted March 14, 2019 in News

Dolphinaris Closes – What’s Next For the Dolphins?

In the two years since the grand opening of Dolphinaris Arizona, half of its eight dolphins have met untimely deaths. ...

Posted February 28, 2019 in News

Canadian Bill S-203 Passes in Senate. Now Goes to House.

It took almost three years, 17 hearings, 40 witnesses (including six experts from the Whale Sanctuary Project), and countless attempts ...

Posted October 24, 2018 in News

When Captive Belugas Give Birth

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

Posted September 23, 2018 in News, Opinion