Whale and Dolphin Conservation

09/01/2026

We are angry but not surprised by the House of Representative’s reckless decision to push North Atlantic right whales towards extinction. Solutions to reduce entanglements, backed by science, already exist. The only thing HR 9436 accomplishes is denying an endangered species the protection they deserve, for 9 more years.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Mike Lawler (NY) whose district is not coastal, and Maine’s lame duck Representative Jarred Golden, prevents further measures to reduce accidental entanglements to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales until 2035. In 2022, a federal judge ruled that entanglement protections for right whales needed to be in place by December 2024. Later that year, the Maine delegation inserted language into the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 moving the court ordered deadline to December 31, 2028. This bill further delays any protective actions until 2035.

With fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remaining today, and accidental entanglements being one of the leading causes of death, we should be legislating protection, not extinction. Studies suggest that 85% of North Atlantic right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once. On average, it takes about 6 months for an entangled whale to succumb to their injuries. The life of a North Atlantic right whale should not be one filled with pain, just for existing.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Over 1 million pounds of seafood has been commercially harvested in the US and Canada using on-demand fishing gear (also known as ropeless gear). This technology works and reduces the risk of entanglements by removing the static vertical line in the water column at times and in places right whales are known to aggregate. This is truly a win-win for the whales and fishing communities, but politics are preventing progress.

When whales die, we all lose.

Whales are a sentinel species who provide insight and understanding in the health of ocean, including North Atlantic right whales. They also stimulate phytoplankton-the base of the entire marine food web- and help the ocean produce oxygen. Protecting whales means protecting everyone’s future, from the coastal fishermen to the people in the Midwest-we all benefit from healthy whale populations.

It doesn’t end here. We will work tirelessly to ensure that the Senate does not pass this bill.

09/01/2026

Phone calls are CRITICAL today! Call your House Rep and tell them to vote NO on HR 9436. Remind them that they work for you and you want right whales to be protected, not pushed closer to extinction especially when solutions that allow fishing and whales to co-exists, do exist!

Call 202-224-3121. The vote is expected to happen on the House floor this evening (9/1).

08/31/2026

THIS BILL CANNOT PASS! If it does, it could be the final nail in the coffin for this endangered species. Call your House Rep and tell them to vote NO on H.R. 9436. The switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121.

Edit: the vote is happening today, Sept 1, 2026.

Not sure what to say? Here's a loose script: {Hi, I'm your constituent and I'm urging you to vote NO on HR 9436. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, and this bill pushes them towards extinction. This bill delays progress for 9 more years when solutions exist.

08/30/2026

You're making a difference and moving the needle‼️It's time to fill their voicemail with messages before the vote. 📞Call (202) 224-3121. If you're not sure who your representative is, you can use this directory. https://www.house.gov/representatives

A GIANT reminder that humans are a fraction of the size of North Atlantic right whales but are wholly responsible for the decline in their population.

Entanglements are one of their leading causes of death, and the bill Congress is voting on, on Monday (H.R. 9436) delays any additional protections to right whales from accidental entanglements until 2035. That's 9 more years!! How many more right whales have to suffer the agonizing death of entanglements before action is taken?

Speak out against H.R. 9436!! If this bill passes it could be the final nail in the coffin for this species. With less than 400 remaining and 70 breeding females, this population cannot wait another 9 years.

Contact your rep here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urge-congress-to-reject-rep-lawlers-attack-on-north-atlantic-right-whales

Humans are only ONE species out of MILLIONS that exist on this Earth, and we have a responsibility to protect those who are directly impacted and endangered by our actions.

08/29/2026

🗣️It’s time to rise up for right whales. Bill H.R. 9436 pushes this species closer to extinction by delaying additional protections from accidental entanglements for 9 years. 9 years right whales do not have. Use the link in our bio to tell your rep to oppose this bill. They’re expected to vote this upcoming Monday.

There are less than 400 individuals remaining and only 70 breeding females. Studies suggest that 85% of North Atlantic right whales have been entangled at least once. The technology to reduce this number exists, it’s called on-demand. If this bill passes, it will delay progress and protections from entanglements for 9 more years.

08/29/2026

A GIANT reminder that humans are a fraction of the size of North Atlantic right whales but are wholly responsible for the decline in their population.

Entanglements are one of their leading causes of death, and the bill Congress is voting on, on Monday (H.R. 9436) delays any additional protections to right whales from accidental entanglements until 2035. That's 9 more years!! How many more right whales have to suffer the agonizing death of entanglements before action is taken?

Speak out against H.R. 9436!! If this bill passes it could be the final nail in the coffin for this species. With less than 400 remaining and 70 breeding females, this population cannot wait another 9 years.

Contact your rep here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urge-congress-to-reject-rep-lawlers-attack-on-north-atlantic-right-whales

Humans are only ONE species out of MILLIONS that exist on this Earth, and we have a responsibility to protect those who are directly impacted and endangered by our actions.

08/28/2026

Another lake has been renamed‼️In light of Representatives Lawler’s (R-NY) and Representative Golden’s (D-ME) bill, H.R. 9436, which delays any additional protections to right whales from accidental entanglements until 2035, and risks bringing them closer to extinction, We, WDC-NA, hereby declare: Lake Erie to be renamed Lake Right Whale

They're expected to vote on this bill Monday, so we need ALL voices who wish to prevent right whales from going extinct to immediately call their Representative at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to OPPOSE H.R. 9436

or email them here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urge-congress-to-reject-rep-lawlers-attack-on-north-atlantic-right-whales

08/27/2026

We are not sure where Binary is, or what has happened, but we do know that every breeding female is extremely important to the future of this population. The potential loss of this mother is heartbreaking, for her calf, and the remainder of the population.

North Atlantic right whales face many threats, and we've been working to protect this species from accidental vessel strikes and entanglements. The work we do is necessary to keep this population alive. When dangerous bill, such as H.R. 9436, are introduced they undermine the critical work that is done to protect these whales. If you haven't spoken up yet, please tell your representatives to oppose H.R. 9436:

Save right whales here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urge-congress-to-reject-rep-lawlers-attack-on-north-atlantic-right-whales

North Atlantic right whale calves stay with their moms during their first year of life, not just for feeding but to also learn how to be a whale. It is estimated that her new calf is only about 9 months old, meaning that the chances of this little one surviving without mom are slim, but not impossible.

08/26/2026

If you look at the picture, you can clearly see line wrapped around the left fluke.

Collecting data on the water is fun, but the real work is downloading, coding, and using these data to help protect whales. When we began going through the data from yesterday's trip our hearts immediately sank when we realized that one of the calves we sighted was entangled.

How did we not see that while on the water? Between the glare from the sun on the water and the fluking movement happening in real time, it was difficult to spot. We called the Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team at Center for Coastal Studies and immediately shared images and location. Fortunately, it is a known entanglement, not yet another entangled whale, and they do not believe this entanglement is life threatening. The MAER team is monitoring this little one and will only intervene, if necessary, as the process of disentangling a whale, especially a dependent calf, is dangerous to the team and stressful to both the mother and her baby.

Everyone has been talking about how epic the humpback whale sightings have been this year, but the threats they face have been ever-present as well. A huge shoutout to our friends at CCS who not only curate the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog which documents individual whales and their life history but have been just as busy disentangling whales.

Entanglements are a terrible accident, and no fishermen is intentionally harming whales. WDC is working with the Conservation Law Foundation and NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center to test on-demand fishing gear that will allow fishing without risking whales becoming entangled. We are deeply grateful to the funders who support this work and especially to the fishermen who are testing the gear and providing important feedback about its use.

08/23/2026

the ocean is music to our ears. crashing waves on the surface and gentle giants below create a symphony of sounds that are the auditory equivalence of happiness.

but what do their sounds mean? while we may never fully speak whale- whales songs become part of their culture and can be passed down socially.