Captivity Industry: Top news
The next release is scheduled to begin on August 22nd, according to the Russian environmental agency. It will include the two remaining orcas, and possibly some of the beluga whales. It takes five days to truck and barge the whales from the Russian Whale Jail, south of Vladivostok, to their home waters. The agency vowed to continue the process for the remaining beluga whales as long as the weather will allow, likely into November.
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On July 16, the Whale Sanctuary Project kicked 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.
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Last week, 3 orcas from the notorious “whale jail” in Russia were transported to the Sea of Okhotsk, where they were released. This release appeared to go better for the orcas than the release last month. Two orcas and six beluga whales were previously released into the Sea of Okhotsk on June 27th, under government contract, by the same Russian companies that captured the whales in the first place.
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This Week, Russia Will Begin the Second Release of Orcas from the Russian Whale Jail. Three Will Be Transported to the Sea of Okhotsk, But Will The Russian Contractors (the Same People Who Originally Caught the Whales for Sale to China) Follow International Scientific Recommendations for the Release?
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Published last month in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior,
"The Harmful Effects of Captivity and Chronic Stress on the Well-being of Orcas (Orcinus orca)" essay should put to rest the lies of the captivity industry that favor the keeping of these large, social and highly intelligent marine mammals in small tanks to do tricks for profit. It should help speed the day when all such tanks are shut down.
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Russia Has Released the Eight Whales Into the Sea of Okhotsk, But Our Russian Colleagues Are Concerned With the Releases, Noting the Secrecy and the Lack of Acclimation and Release Near Wild Whales.
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Recently, the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute joined several colleague organizations in opposing a proposed import of three captive bottlenose dolphins. We oppose the import proposal in part because it’s unclear where the dolphins will actually go, and because neither proposed place is suitable. The import is now pending a final decision by government authorities.
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There are still many questions around the Russian release of the Whale Jail whales back to their home waters. Here's the latest!
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The Russian Government Has Announced that the Almost One Hundred Orcas and Beluga Whales Are Being Released Back Where They Were Captured, But Questions Remain About the Details.
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Norway's Fisheries Ministry Has Determined That the "Spy" Whale, Believed to Be a Refugee of Russia's Military Use of Dolphins, Can Remain Free. But Hazards Remain in the Harbor, Such as Fishing Nets and Boat Propellers.
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Campaign Top News
- International Marine Mammal Project >
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From pushing for sanctuaries for Wikie & Keijo and 30 beluga whales, to opposing attempts to gut the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts, to protecting wetlands in the Barataria basin, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a great deal in 2025 for whales and dolphins.
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What is it like being a student intern at the International Marine Mammal Project? An internship can be life-changing for a student. Our intern Jillian talks about her experience with IMMP.
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From battling the whaling industry in Japan and Iceland, to exposing the continued slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, to saving the lives of tens of thousands of dolphins annually through Dolphin Safe tuna, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a lot in 2024.
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- Save Japan Dolphins >
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The Taiji dolphin drive hunts have again ended, killing hundreds of dolphins for meat after removing "show quality" animals for a miserable life in captivity. Numbers were slightly higher this year for slaughter, although historically low compared to recent years.
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Three species of dolphins have been captured and slaughtered over the past month as the bloody Taiji dolphin drive hunts continue. Most of the dolphins you see in these photos are now dead. The hunts end on March 1st, but six months later, they will begin again.
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A former dolphin trainer explains the damage done by dolphin and small whale captures in Taiji, Japan. Learn the facts about how the aquarium industry sources wild dolphins for a lifetime of misery in small concrete tanks.
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- Dolphin + Whale Project >
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Things are bad for the declining gray whale population, but a recent symposium in Newport, Oregon, left a lot to be desired, as issues of policy and climate change were left behind in the discussions. Action is needed now!
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The Canadian government is taking positive steps to protect the North Atlantic right whale. But the Trump administration is trying to weaken protections for right whales, and the US Senate is poised to pass a bill that would delay any new regulations for right whales until 2035!
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On Tuesday, IMMP took the first step with Oasis Earth and CBD to sue the Trump administration for not taking action on a listing petition to add the gray whale to the US Endangered Species List. No response from the government, so we will see them in court.
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- Keiko Whale Rescue >
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Like most cetaceans, beluga whales do poorly in captivity. Many are now kept in aquariums around the world -- some get stranded once the aquarium or park goes broke and shuts down. Learn about the beluga whale, and why it is a bad idea to keep them in small concrete tanks.
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We are deeply saddened at the death of orca whale Tokitae. Calls for her release were denied for decades and it’s shameful that she never got a chance to go home.
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30 years ago, the movie "Free Willy" was a huge hit. The plight of its orca star, Keiko, touched the public along with the moving story. Read how the International Marine Mammal Project took that spark of concern and returned Keiko to his home waters. SeaWorld and other captive dolphin parks would never be the same!
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- Dolphin Safe Fishing >
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The US is now the biggest importer of seafood in the world, but the sustainability of many of the fisheries involved is highly questionable. The experience with the Dolphin Safe tuna label can help form better monitoring and protection for fish populations, as well as protect non-target species like marine mammals.
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Every year, we estimate that the Dolphin Safe label on tuna cans saves the lives of 90,000 dolphins annually in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, and many more in other oceans of the world. You, as a consumer, should know how the Dolphin Safe label works to protect dolphins in global tuna fisheries.
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A new Marine Mammal Protection Act has been proposed for the Philippines, with strong support from our IMMP Philippines office, with the support of Representative Co. Read about this new legislation to protect endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin and other Filipino whales and dolphins.
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- Freeing Orca Whales from Captivity >
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IMMP opposed the transfer of belugas from Canada's Marineland to US aquariums. This so-called "rescue" has resulted in 30 belugas being moved to marine parks, but one has already died at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. How many more will the captivity industry kill?
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Thirty belugas in a closed park in Canada are scheduled to be sent to five aquariums in the US and Spain. IMMP is demanding a better review of their health before moving them and a ban on breeding them in captivity. Read our letter.
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The orcas Wikie and her son Keijo are still trapped in Marineland in France. Marineland wants the orcas to go to Loro Parque Zoo, an aquarium in Spain with one of the worst records of captive orca deaths. IMMP is urging the French government to instead retire Wikie and Keijo to a seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
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- Freeing Wikie & Keijo >