Save The Whales

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Save The Whales

Save The Whales’ mission is to preserve and protect the ocean and its inhabitants through education. savethewhales.org Visit: www.savethewhales.org

Save the Whales believes that children - the future of the planet - need to be empowered and know that their actions can promote change. Education is the key to saving whales, oceans, and ourselves.

06/05/2026

Happy World Environment Day!🌍 🩵

Today is a reminder that protecting our blue planet means protecting our oceans and the incredible wildlife that depends on them. Whales play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, helping regulate the climate and supporting ocean biodiversity.

But our oceans continue to face major threats including plastic pollution, warming climate temperatures, noise pollution, and habitat destruction. The choices we make every day can help create a healthier future for marine life and for generations to come.

Here are a few ways you can make a difference:

Reduce single-use plastics and never release balloons outside
Participate in local beach and river cleanups
Support ocean conservation efforts
Choose sustainable products
Educate others about protecting marine ecosystems

Every action, big or small, helps protect the ocean we all depend on.

06/02/2026

Whales are truly Earth's caretakers. They help regulate food chains and support marine biodiversity. As whales move through the ocean, they stir up nutrients that boost the growth of phytoplankton- tiny plants that produce much of the oxygen in our atmosphere and feed countless marine animals. Whale "p**p" absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide. Remarkably, each whale during its lifetime can store an estimated 33 tons of carbon dioxide in its body, and when they die, that carbon sinks with them to the ocean floor. This natural carbon sequestration helps combat changing ocean temperatures. In life and in death, whales serve as marine champions, environmental engineers, and powerful reminders of how all life on Earth is interconnected. Protecting whales is not just about saving a species, it’s about preserving the natural cycles that keep our planet in balance. https://savethewhales.org/why-whales-matter/

05/30/2026

Looking for more inspiring whale stories?

Head to the Save the Whales website to dive deeper into the incredible world of these amazing animals.
Whalespiration - Save The Whales

05/27/2026

Wear your values. Protect what you love.

When you buy a Save the Whales organic whale tee, you’re doing more than upgrading your wardrobe. You’re directly supporting ocean protection, marine science education, and the next generation of ocean stewards.

Every purchase helps fund our school programs to inspire students through hands-on marine science, and protect whales and ocean life.

Shop with purpose and make waves for whales: https://savethewhales.org/product-category/apparel/

05/23/2026

“Shellebrate” World Turtle Day on May 23rd

This year marks the 26th anniversary of a global effort, led by American Tortoise Rescue, to protect turtles, tortoises, and their habitats. The reality is urgent: 61% of species are threatened or already extinct.

One simple, often overlooked danger? Balloons. When released outside, they can travel hundreds of miles before landing in oceans. They look just like jellyfish, a favorite food of sea turtles. Once ingested, the balloons block their digestive system, often leading to death.

You can make a difference. Become a Balloon Alert Ambassador at your school, workplace, church, and in your community. Educate others to protect sea turtles and ban outdoor balloon releases. Visit Save the Whales website to learn how you can get involved. https://savethewhales.org/take-action/balloon-ambassador/

05/18/2026

Built for the deep

Whales and dolphins (cetaceans) are true diving champions, equipped with incredible adaptations that let them explore depths we can barely imagine. They carry more oxygen in their blood, slow their heart rate to conserve it, and store extra oxygen in their muscles thanks to myoglobin. Even the intense pressure of the ocean isn’t a problem. Their lungs safely collapse at depth, protecting them from the “bends.”

Some species take this to the extreme: the Cuvier’s beaked whale is the deepest-diving mammal with a record of 2,992 meters or 9,816 feet and durations of 3 hours!

05/15/2026

Today, we shine a light on the countless species around the world that are at risk of disappearing forever, and take a moment to recognize one of the rarest marine mammals on Earth: the vaquita porpoise. This species is also called the “desert porpoise” or the “panda of the sea.”

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California harbor porpoise, has been considered rare and vulnerable since its discovery over 50 years ago. Found only in the waters of the northern Gulf of California, Mexico, it has the smallest range of any marine cetacean.

While the species faces several threats, the most immediate and devastating danger is entanglement in illegal fishing nets set for totoaba fish, whose swim bladders are sold illegally for thousands of dollars per kilogram creating a lucrative illegal trade that fuels poaching. This is driving a rapid and unsustainable population decline of the vaquita.

Despite the ban on gillnets, enforcement gaps remain challenging in the remote waters of the Gulf of California.

The vaquita is listed as Critically Endangered, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Population estimates paint a heartbreaking picture:
From around 245 individuals in 2008… to

05/10/2026

Celebrating the incredible bond between mothers and their babies, above and below the surface.

From the moment a calf enters the vast ocean, their mama becomes everything: protector, provider, teacher, and comfort. Through gentle nudges and loving guidance, she shows them how to navigate the sea and stay safe in an ever-changing world.

Just like human moms, whale mothers give endlessly. Nurturing, protecting, and loving with unwavering devotion. It’s a bond that only grows stronger with every swim they take together.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms out there!

05/07/2026

Ever noticed the tiny legs under a sea star? They’re called tube feet, and they’re powered by water, not muscles!

Sea stars use these incredible little feet to move, cling to rocks, and even open mussels, urchins, and other invertebrates. It's all part of their water vascular system, a unique feature among echinoderms that allows them to walk using hydraulic pressure.

Why does this matter to whale lovers? Because creatures like sea stars are part of the ocean web we’re fighting to protect. From the tiniest tube feet to the mightiest whale flukes, ocean life is connected and every species plays a role in maintaining balance.

Protecting whales means protecting the entire marine ecosystem they rely on, and that includes the small but mighty!

04/30/2026

Conservation Milestone: 1990 — “Dolphin-Safe” Tuna Labeling
Between 1959 and 1976, it is estimated that more than six million dolphins were killed as bycatch in tuna nets in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Yellow fin tuna travel beneath dolphins and tuna fishermen would look for the dolphins and encircle them with large purse seine nets. In the late 1980s, shocking undercover footage filmed by Earth Island biologist Samuel LaBudde exposed the massive number of dolphins being killed.

When the footage became public in the U.S., the reaction was outrage. By April 1990, consumer anger sparked a nationwide tuna boycott. Although a boycott had been in place since 1986, it was the release of LaBudde’s footage that galvanized widespread action.

Save the Whales’ educated thousands of people, including school children about the dolphins and the tuna industry. Students sent their letters and drawings to their representatives, and the major tuna companies with the message to stop killing dolphins. Faced with mounting pressure, tuna companies began promoting “dolphin-friendly” fishing methods and labeling their products as “dolphin-safe.”

However, concerns quickly arose about whether companies were using the label honestly. To prevent misleading claims, the U.S. government passed the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (1990), amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The law created strict standards for when tuna products could legally be labeled “dolphin-safe.”

This legislation marked a major step in consumer-driven conservation—proving how public outcry can lead to change.
Bycatch continues and threatens many species. If you eat seafood, become a sustainable seafood shopper by purchasing from U.S. companies and use the Seafood Watch Guide while shopping or dining out to make environmentally sustainable choices.

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http://www.savethewhales.org/

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