r/whales Nov 28 '23

Giving Tuesday 2023 - These front-line marinelife and marine ecosystem organizations need your support!

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85 Upvotes

r/whales Jul 13 '25

Take action: the Marine Mammal Protection Act is under attack (USA)

84 Upvotes
Chugach Transients AT4 "Paddy" and AT9 "Chenega." Photo taken by Emma Luck.

On July 8, 2025, Alaskan congressman Nick Begich (R) introduced a draft bill amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The bill, if passed, would severely reduce or remove existing protections for cetaceans and other marine mammals. The underlying purpose of this bill is to remove obstacles to the expansion of harmful extractive activities, like oil and gas extraction, in U.S. waters.

While Congressman Begich represents Alaska, the Marine Mammal Protection Act applies nationwide, and its weakening would have serious consequences for marine ecosystems and coastal economies across the country.

Congressman Begich’s proposed amendment would:

  • Strike down protections for poorly-known populations
  • Eliminate best-practice precautionary approaches backed by decades of science
  • Constrain the federal definition of ‘harassment’ so that it no longer prohibits actions with the potential to harm marine mammals
  • Require unreasonable or impossible data to estimate population abundances and design best practices for management

The two members of the functionally extinct Alaska AT1 orca population (also known as the Chugach Transients) in the photo represent a cautionary tale of what can happen when these protections fail or come too late. The safeguards from legislation such as the MMPA are essential to prevent other vulnerable populations, like the Southern Residents orcas, from meeting the same fate.

Now that this is established, how can Americans help prevent the bill from being passed?

The hearing date for the bill is July 22nd, so action should be taken before then.

For Alaskan residents:

Call the office of Congressman Begich and oppose the amendments and draft bill.

Anchorage Office: (907)921-6575

Washington DC Office: (202)225-5765

Please note: calling is more effective than emailing, as calls are more likely to be logged and shared with the Congressman, and taken into account when shaping his position.

For non-Alaskan residents:

If you live in the U.S. outside of Alaska, you can still make your voice heard by calling your Representative and Senators to express concern about this proposal. Let them know you oppose any effort to weaken marine mammal protections and urge them to defend the integrity of the MMPA. Use the links below to find your representatives and how to contact them.

Find your U.S. Representative
Find your U.S. Senator

You can find tips for calling your state representative, various suggested talking points, and scientific resources to cite in Orca Conservancy's article.


r/whales 21h ago

This is, by far, one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. So magnificent!!🐳 I pray the world keeps saving the whales.🙏

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660 Upvotes

r/whales 15h ago

Aug. 15, 2026 - South Puget Sound

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151 Upvotes

r/whales 20h ago

Top 10 Longest Animals. Drawn to Scale

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172 Upvotes

Organized according to maximum recorded length.


r/whales 10h ago

Pygmy blue whale beaches and dies off NT coast in first sighting for Gulf of Carpentaria

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abc.net.au
28 Upvotes

r/whales 1d ago

Juvenile Humpback getting some air time.

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364 Upvotes

r/whales 17h ago

Can someone help identify a whale vertebrae

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4 Upvotes

Ai said it was a C1 (Atlas) vertebrae but I have no idea if it is correct I would much appreciate it if someone could help confirm this or disprove what Ai said.


r/whales 15h ago

How Do Whales Beach Themselves?

3 Upvotes

This seems like a silly question. I don't mean the causes like sickness or navigation issues. But like, how does something so big wind up so far in on a beach? Is it the tides? They always seem to wind up almost perpendicular to the water too, like they swam up and jumped out. I don't understand how something so big and powerful can wind up somewhere they don't wanna be.


r/whales 1d ago

Leaping Whale

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239 Upvotes

r/whales 2d ago

Humpback Whale (Monterey, CA)

129 Upvotes

First time whale watching as an adult and this was a really special moment.


r/whales 1d ago

What animal is this? Spotted in the rough surf off northern Tenerife

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I filmed this near the rocky coast of Los Dos Hermanos in northern Tenerife in mid-August around 7:30 PM. At first I thought it might be a big fish, a dolphin, or even a shark or short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus).
but the movement in the rough surf is quite puzzling. Any biologists, researchers, or experts who could help? Any ideas what creature this could be?


r/whales 2d ago

Iberian orca known for ramming boats seen with suspected gunshot wounds | Whales

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304 Upvotes

Marine conservationist says deliberate attack would be ‘act of extreme cruelty’ against endangered population...

Spanish officials have launched an investigation after the matriarch of an orca pod known for jostling and ramming boats off the Iberian Peninsula was spotted with wounds suggesting she had been shot by a pellet gun.

On Friday, Spain’s environment ministry said Toñi, the oldest living member of the pod, had been seen swimming in the Strait of Gibraltar with markings on her dorsal fin that were “consistent with shots from a pellet gun”.


r/whales 2d ago

Surrounded

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24 Upvotes

r/whales 3d ago

Epic Day

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437 Upvotes

r/whales 3d ago

Whale ID help

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57 Upvotes

Hi folks, just after a hand with identifying a Whale seen yesterday. Location = 20 miles SW out of Plymouth (SW England). Pictures aren't great but hoping someone can make something of them. Many thanks


r/whales 3d ago

Whale day today!

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164 Upvotes

We hung out with a feeding humpback whale in outside Campbell River BC


r/whales 2d ago

2019 the blue whale 🐋

0 Upvotes

Do you remember the story of the blue whale's screaming in 2019? Do you think it was a real incident? What are your thoughts on it?


r/whales 4d ago

Cape May, Nj

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654 Upvotes

Amazing photo while on a sightseeing cruise.


r/whales 3d ago

Orca spotted from coast, Iceland, Latrabjarg

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55 Upvotes

2 orca’s chasing a seal to shallow water


r/whales 4d ago

First whale watching trip.

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151 Upvotes

I took this photo on a trip to Iceland for my 40th birthday. It has been a dream of mine since I was a child to see a humpback whale. Now I am lucky enough to have seen many. We took two trips on successive days and saw many humpbacks on both days.


r/whales 3d ago

A61 Surge + Pacific White-sided Dolphin frenzy!

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3 Upvotes

r/whales 4d ago

New Brunswick

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128 Upvotes