The stories below are about and written by a few of the children and young adults who have touched us with their creativity, caring and intelligence.  It is what enhances Save The Whales and makes our efforts worthwhile.  A circle was created: an educational organization was started by a young teenager and now, over 30 years later, children's imagination and inspiration continue to save the whales.  

  There are many other children and young adults deserving of recognition.To see some of them, visit Inspirations. 

Riley Kolus

We met Riley after the orca Tillikum attacked and killed his trainer at SeaWorld, Orlando, FL.  Riley understands the tragedy of large, intelligent and family-oriented orcas being taken from their family and held in captivity.  Below is his story.

My name is Riley Kolus, I am 13 years old, and live in Burbank, California. I found out what is happening to whales and dolphins of the world when I saw the first season of Whale Wars.  Assuming it would be a show about pirates at sea attacking other boats, I began watching, but quickly discovered what it was really about.  After watching a documentary on the killing of dolphins called The Cove, I was jumpstarted into doing something. I started emailing organizations like Save the Whales, asking what I could do to help the anti-whaling campaign and the capture of wild animals for display in aquaria.

   A few months after beginning my own campaign, my class planned a school trip to SeaWorld, San Diego.  I had a conversation with the school trip planners about going somewhere else, but it was set in stone: the tickets had been bought. 

   On the day of the trip, I recruited a group of about 10 friends who are also passionate about whales, and we spent the day interviewing trainers and staff at Sea World, while the rest of the kids on the trip got splashed by Shamu*.

   I talked to representatives from Sea World and asked what life is like in a tank for an animal as large as Tillikum. We came away from the experience, outraged that the whales and dolphins live in tiny tanks, and that NOWHERE in the park is there mention of the killing of dolphins and whales in the wild.**  

   After visiting Sea World, I wrote and delivered a speech Stopping Whaling to four classes at school, and was recognized at Eighth Grade Promotion for my efforts to spread the anti-whaling message. My friends and I plan on continuing our attempts to put an end to the sea mammal industry. Our current goal is to get all the Sea Worlds worldwide to educate people on what is happening to whales in the wild. If we can make this happen, I have no doubt we can stop whaling once and for all.  RK

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* Shamu is an interchangeable name that SeaWorld uses for multiple orcas.

** The movie, The Cove, depicts how dolphins are culled from animals rounded up by fishermen and selected for sale to aquaria throughout the world. 

These two young women had a lot of fun collaborating on this striking logo and are very proud of their design. Created for a school project at a University of Wisconsin, they did not imagine it would go anywhere except their portfolios. In a spontaneous decision, they decided to send it to Save the Whales as a gift of appreciation. Luckily, their hard work paid off and we love their design. 

© 2010 Sarah & Kelsey Logo Design

The young women explain that the concept for the design came in a funky and modern form, and they wanted to create a simple and appealing logo. They decided to incorporate typography with the design and made sure that it was 

Kelsey & Sarah

easily readable, but still identifiable with Save the Whales. The colors were chosen for a youthful vibe while appealing to all ages.  

   It is always a dream for designers to

see their design being used for a purpose, and Sarah and Kelsey are more than thankful for the cooperation with Save the Whales.

In Memory of Alison M. Rodecker

Alison died unexpectedly at the age of 23 in 2005.  A  marine science college student,her passion was whales, especially orcas.     She was the daughter of John and Lynn Rodecker. John is superintendent of Perth Amboy, N.J. schools and every year a program is held by the schools to raise awareness about whales with programs, songs and poetry in memory of Alison. The first year's memorial coincided with the Sing to Save The Whales Day and their voices, a 1,000 member chorus, may be heard on our CD, Songs to Heal Our Planet.
     Every year, funds are raised for Save The Whales and the Alison Rodecker Scholarship to assist a promising marine biology student.  Her parents are pleased that Alison continues to be honored through the causes she believed in and held dear.