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 Save The Whales' mission is to preserve and

 protect the ocean and its inhabitants.


 
Pilot Whale Dies With 17 Pounds
of Plastic Clogging its Digestive System

Last month, a small pilot whale was seen struggling in the coastal area of southern Thailand near the Malaysia border. His rescuers tried to save the whale by putting buoys around him to keep him afloat.They put umbrellas around him to protect him from the sun.
However, he died after five days, and after vomiting up plastic bags during the rescue attempt.
A necropsy revealed that 17 pounds of plastic (a total of 80 bags) had clogged the whale's digestive system so it could not ingest food. 
Thailand is one of the largest users of plastic bags. In the last year, at least 300 marine animals in Thailand, including sea turtles and dolphins, have died after ingesting plastic thinking it was food. Plastic makes up 90% of marine debris. Marine debris entanglements have been documented for more than 275 species of animals. Debris ingestion has been documented in 56% of cetacean species.
Since China announced that it will not import almost half of the world's garbage, beginning January 1, 2018, operations across the United States are grappling with how to process heavy volumes of paper and plastic that they can no longer send to China. It is estimated that the United States will have to deal with 37 million metric tons of extra waste, and they aren't prepared.
There's not another country with the infrastructure to accommodate the load that China has taken up to now. The United States, particularly the producers of plastics, has to work out a solution.
Each individual needs to reduce plastic use and consump-tion. Ask your city council to enact a plastic bag ban if they haven't done so already. 

From the Biggest  to the  Smallest -
Fishing Line Kills
  
Most of us have seen videos or pictures of large whales being rescued from probable death after being trapped in fishing lines.
But few have seen a seahorse with fishing line wrapped around its throat several times. This is what a mother in Florida, along with her two daughters, saw when they were snorkeling in Florida. The mother knew immediately who to call: Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 
Their rescue team picked up the seahorse and brought her to their rehabilitation facility. After a short stay at Clearwater, she was released to a lush seagrass bed on June 14.
She is a type of seahorse called a lined seahorse and she was named "Frito."  The habitat of the lined seahorse is diminishing due to coastal growth and pollution which ultimately is the cause of the decreasing population. The lined seahorse is also used in Chinese medicine and is common in the aquarium trade, contributing to its "vulnerable" status.

 ___________________________________________________________

Dear Friend of Save the Whales:

Since China will no longer accept our garbage, we will have to try harder to keep plastic from entering the ocean. Please do your part, and remember, "Say NO to plastic straws."

Sincerely,

    

Maris Sidenstecker 
President Co-Founder - Save The Whales
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization


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Illustration - Nodar Kipshidze


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Captured Morgan
A Life of Hardship

The orca, Morgan, was taken in July 2010 from the Wadden Sea off the coast of the Netherlands. She was found extremely emaciated. Taken to a facility for medical care, after she recovered from emaciation and dehydration, she was to be released.  
Instead she ended up in 2011 as a captive orca in Loro Parque, a privately-owned aquaria in the Canary Islands. She lives there with five other orcas. She is suffering from the stress of captivity in this aquarium known for its very poor living conditions.
There was a lawsuit heard in December 2012 that stated Morgan was to be released after recovery. This did not happen. 
It is unfortunate that Morgan is pregnant. SeaWorld's announcement on an orca breeding ban in 2016 was never acknowedged by Loro Parque. "They have been trying for years to get Morgan pregnant," said Free Morgan Foundation's vice chair Hester Bartels. It is dangerous for Morgan to be pregnant at such a young age. It has also been discovered that Morgan is hard of hearing. This probably explains how she originally was separated from her family. 
Since she is a Norwegian orca (proved by DNA), a sea pen has been prepared for her in Norway. Given her inability to echolocate, the staff and orcas that she lives with would have to provide her with food.



Morgan's worn-down teeth, and her jaw showing damage from rubbing her lower jaw against the tank in her frustration.
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