Whale Conservation Around the World
Whales don’t recognize borders, and neither should the fight to protect them. From the Southern Ocean to the Pacific coast, dedicated people and organizations on every continent are working to keep whales safe from whaling, entanglement, ship strikes, and pollution. Below is a tour of some of the most important organizations and museums working on behalf of whales worldwide.
Featured: MUNMBA — The National Whale Museum, Mazatlán, Mexico
Perched on Cerro del Vigía overlooking the Pacific in Mazatlán’s historic center, MUNMBA (Museo Nacional de la Ballena) is one of the most striking new additions to whale conservation anywhere in the world.
Designed by acclaimed Mexican architect Alejandro D’Acosta, the museum is built from recycled shipping containers arranged in bold, angular forms, wrapped in a black-and-white “dazzle” pattern inspired by WWI naval camouflage. Inside, it houses one of the most diverse collections of cetacean skeletons anywhere in Mexico and Latin America.
Address: Observatorio, Cerro del Vigía, 82000 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico · Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm
North America
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (USA / Global) — Founded in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd runs direct-action marine conservation campaigns worldwide. seashepherd.org
Captain Paul Watson Foundation (USA / Global) — Continuing the direct-action legacy against illegal whaling. paulwatsonfoundation.org
Pacific Whale Foundation (Hawaii, USA) — A global leader in whale research and eco-tourism education since 1980. pacificwhale.org
South America
Instituto Baleia Jubarte (Bahia, Brazil) — For over 30 years, this Brazilian institute has researched and protected humpback whales, helping the population rebound from near-extinction. baleiajubarte.org.br
Southern Right Whale Consortium (Argentina / regional) — Researchers monitoring and protecting Southern Right Whales along Patagonia’s coast, a globally important nursery ground.
Europe
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) (UK / Global) — One of the world’s leading whale and dolphin charities, campaigning against whaling, captivity, and hunts including the Faroe Islands grindadráp. uk.whales.org
ORCA (UK) — A marine conservation charity protecting whales and dolphins in UK and European waters through research and citizen science. orca.org.uk
OceanCare (Switzerland) — An international ocean conservation organization with consultative status at the United Nations, campaigning on whaling and ocean noise. oceancare.org
Africa
Dolphin Action and Protection Group (DAPG) (South Africa) — Based in Cape Town, DAPG has worked since the 1980s to protect whales and dolphins along the South African coast.
Asia
Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society (Hong Kong) — Works to protect the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and raise cetacean conservation awareness across the region.
Ogasawara Whale Watching Association (Japan) — Promotes responsible, research-informed whale watching in Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, a critical humpback whale breeding ground.
Oceania
ORRCA (Australia) — A volunteer-based rescue organization responding to whale and dolphin strandings and entanglements around the Australian coast since 1978. orrca.org.au
Antarctica & the Southern Ocean
Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) — A coalition of NGOs advocating for the protection of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, including the whales that migrate there to feed, since 1978.
This list is a starting point, not a complete map — whale conservation work is happening in dozens of countries not listed here.