Rendering of Whale Sanctuary - Courtesy of Whale Sanctuary Project.
Rendering of Whale Sanctuary - Courtesy of Whale Sanctuary Project.

Update On The Whale Sanctuary Project

Topics: Bans, Legislation, Captivity Industry, Cetacean Habitat, Orcas, Rehabilitation, Release, Sanctuaries, Whales

The International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute strongly supports the efforts of the Whale Sanctuary Project to establish a seaside sanctuary to retire orcas, beluga whales, and many dolphin species how held in captivity.

Here is the latest on the Project’s progress looking for sites to host the seaside sanctuary:

Salish Sea Orca Sanctuary Project Kicks Off Public Meetings

SEATTLE – Starting 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.

“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 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (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 is addressing 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.

Continue Reading: https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/salish-sea-orca-sanctuary-project-kicks-off-public-meetings/

Help Support the Efforts of the International Marine Mammal Project to end captivity of orcas, beluga whales, and dolphins and to retire these intelligent cetaceans to seaside sanctuaries. Your support is critical to our success!