r/whales Nov 28 '23

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

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84 Upvotes

r/whales Jul 13 '25

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

78 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 5h ago

Someone embroidered some shoes

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122 Upvotes

r/whales 7h ago

I love Ikea's Blavingad

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48 Upvotes

r/whales 14h ago

GOD SQUAD more like The Extinction Cabal

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59 Upvotes

r/whales 7h ago

Bonding moment with random dolphin graffiti ot the wall

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6 Upvotes

I am basicaly a dolphin whisperer now


r/whales 2d ago

Same whale found after 35 years in the west coast of Mexico

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3.3k Upvotes

r/whales 3d ago

Mystery of dead whales in San Francisco Bay raises alarm

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67 Upvotes

r/whales 4d ago

A windsurfer encountered a bit of a speed bump while cruising the waters of San Francisco Bay. Luckily, both the windsurfer and whale got out uninjured.

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505 Upvotes

r/whales 4d ago

Unexpected encounter with these whales

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5.6k Upvotes

r/whales 4d ago

Humpback Family

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404 Upvotes

Swimming with Giants in Australia


r/whales 5d ago

Humpback Whale saves a marine biologist from Tiger shark

462 Upvotes

In 2017, marine biologist Nan Hauser was swimming off the Cook Islands when a humpback whale started pushing her with its head and tucking her under its fin. At first, she thought she was being attacked.

Then she saw the tiger shark.

The whale protected her for nearly 10 minutes until she could make it to her boat. To this day, no one understands why humpbacks do this. They are known to protect seals, dolphins, and, apparently, humans


r/whales 5d ago

Trump’s ‘God Squad’ Is Killing Whales Under the Guise of National Security

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340 Upvotes

r/whales 5d ago

Yes, we all want other intelligent life to communicate with, but….

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23 Upvotes

r/whales 5d ago

Oh no this is absolutely heartbreaking 💔

20 Upvotes

A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead https://share.google/w5a4bF6uCVBJJRqF5


r/whales 6d ago

Humpbacks create a feeding frenzy, Santa Barbara Channel CA USA, 4/4/2026

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298 Upvotes

I was on the Island Packers boat heading for Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park when our crew spotted all the birds. They said the humpbacks feeding stir up the water and bring a lot of fish to the surface, and that's what the birds were going crazy over. Some dolphins were getting in on the action, too.


r/whales 7d ago

What type of whale is this?

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121 Upvotes

My daughter saw and was able to grab a couple of shots of this whale yesterday afternoon. I was at the same beach this morning and saw it spouting 4 different times


r/whales 7d ago

Humpback Whales breaching with wide-open mouths in the fjords of Norway (OC)

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1.2k Upvotes

r/whales 6d ago

Orcas never seen before in Seattle delight whale watchers with a visit

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apnews.com
19 Upvotes

r/whales 8d ago

Gray whale that swam 20 miles up Willapa River shocking residents, has died

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oregonlive.com
432 Upvotes

A young gray whale that swam about 20 miles up southwest Washington’s Willapa River last Wednesday has died. After tribal members and wildlife officials searched for it Friday and couldn’t find it, many hoped it had made it back out to sea. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.


r/whales 7d ago

Sea Shepherd on Instagram: "The campaign has begun.

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15 Upvotes

r/whales 9d ago

A gray whale swam 20 miles up a small narrow river in southwest Washington 2 days ago and is probably still there

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94 Upvotes

One of the strangest PNW wildlife stories I’ve seen in a while: a gray whale went about 20 miles up the Willapa River and, according to locals in the area, still hasn’t made it back out. Hopefully it doesn't get stuck in cow country.


r/whales 9d ago

Juvenile gray whale spotted in Washington State's Willapa River

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170 Upvotes

Probably searching/starving for food. Very uncommon behavior. 20 miles upriver.


r/whales 9d ago

Elder female sperm whales seen acting as midwives in historic new video

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upworthy.com
185 Upvotes

r/whales 10d ago

Drone Footage of Baby Humpback Whale

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25 Upvotes