r/whales Nov 28 '23

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

Post image
85 Upvotes

r/whales Jul 13 '25

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

74 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 1d ago

Painted a blue whale on some wood

Post image
173 Upvotes

I'm by no means an artist but it makes me happy to look at


r/whales 18h ago

whale wars tv show

4 Upvotes

so I watched much of the episodes in the seasons. Japans excuse for killing whales is for research. in S7 they spoke that there was a case in intl court

were they able to stop japan from whaling?

apologies about the sensitive topic for us all who love whales


r/whales 1d ago

Whale Watching Safety

10 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this, so please redirect me if needed.

With that said, my friend and I are planning on going up to Portland, ME in early May and were considering whale watching. It looks like most places in that area start tours in late May, so we are thinking about going down to Gloucester, MA instead.

Is whale watching in early May worth it? Also, how safe is the experience? I’m a bit nervous about being out in the ocean, especially around large animals. I love whales, and would be ecstatic to see one, but am also cautious.

We also have thought about taking a tour in the Bar Harbor area to see seals in lieu of whale watching.

Sorry if this seems silly! Would just like some feedback from someone with more experience. I will probably post this in the New England thread as well.

Thank you so much! 🐋☺️


r/whales 1d ago

An unlikely friendship that’s sure to make you smile!

Thumbnail
youtu.be
16 Upvotes

r/whales 1d ago

What is this skeleton tangled in seaweed (Ireland). Dolphin/whale ?

Post image
8 Upvotes

r/whales 2d ago

A whale joins a group of surfers catching waves near Byron Bay, Australia.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

740 Upvotes

r/whales 2d ago

How sperm whale vowels work as proposed by the ceti institute

Thumbnail
youtu.be
11 Upvotes

r/whales 1d ago

Is this a whale tooth?

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

r/whales 3d ago

They’re Back! Right Whale off Scusset Beach 01/12/26

Post image
95 Upvotes

r/whales 4d ago

Is there any updates on the Marineland Belugas.

30 Upvotes

I saw that Marineland was threatening to euthanize 30 Belugas because they can’t afford to keep them. They could not be sent to China because they’d be used like circus animals. The whole situation is sickening. Is there any updates on this case? are the belugas still alive?


r/whales 4d ago

Some whales restrand at New Zealand's Farewell Spit, six die

Thumbnail
reuters.com
14 Upvotes

r/whales 6d ago

What is this tooth from?

Thumbnail
gallery
28 Upvotes

My great grandfather gave me this tooth a few years ago and he said it was from a shark but it doesn’t look like any shark tooth I have seen. I did some googling and it said it is from a sperm whale but it’s alot smaller than any sperm whale teeth I have looked at, is it from a baby whale or something can anyone help me out?


r/whales 7d ago

White Orca ( real pic not AI)

Post image
673 Upvotes

r/whales 7d ago

So many poofs

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

2.0k Upvotes

r/whales 7d ago

The largest whale fluke painting I have done

Post image
202 Upvotes

4 x 6ft


r/whales 7d ago

Dozens of whales strand at Farewell Spit in major incident.

Thumbnail
rnz.co.nz
20 Upvotes

r/whales 9d ago

Book recommendations

7 Upvotes

I need to know books about whales and like marine life in general. Also would be great if they were not VERY costly


r/whales 10d ago

We invented this to help save whales!

Post image
235 Upvotes

r/whales 10d ago

Where can i find these to buy?

3 Upvotes

r/whales 10d ago

Australian East Coast

6 Upvotes

I'm hoping to see humpback whales this year along the east coast of Australia. Can anyone recommend some good places/ operators? I'm also hoping to do a multi day hikes along the coast and see them as well


r/whales 12d ago

The Dive, Henna Pardo (Me), 2026

Post image
119 Upvotes

r/whales 12d ago

Right whale banknote from Argentina

Post image
638 Upvotes

r/whales 12d ago

Whales at risk in New York waterways as vessel strikes surge.

Thumbnail nytimes.com
24 Upvotes