The Latest Orca News: Two Species Considered, Marineland Tragedy, and Lagoon Rescue
Release Date: 04/08/2024
Coastal Economy and Tourism Are Being Put at Risk by Offshore Oil Drilling
How To Protect The Ocean
Coastal Economy and Tourism face a serious threat as the US government moves forward with a plan to open more than one billion acres of ocean to offshore oil and gas drilling, a decision that could impact beaches, fisheries, tourism jobs, and coastal communities for decades. This episode explains why this proposal matters now and how it could reshape life along the coasts of California, Alaska, and the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore oil drilling is often framed as an economic benefit, but this conversation reveals a very different reality. Pete Stauffer from the breaks down how tourism, recreation,...
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Wikie and Keijo Orcas: The Breakthrough That Could Save Them, Or Come Too Late
How To Protect The Ocean
Wikie and Keijo Orcas are the last two captive orcas in France, and a major government decision may finally give them a path out of concrete tanks, but the clock is ticking. France has officially backed the Whale Sanctuary Project in Nova Scotia as their future home, yet this announcement does not mean an immediate rescue. In this episode, we break down what France’s move really means, what still has to happen, and why these two orcas remain in limbo despite years of public pressure. Whale Sanctuary Project Nova Scotia represents one of the most ambitious attempts to move captive whales into...
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US oil and gas drilling: How This Plan Could Put America’s Coasts at Risk for a Generation
How To Protect The Ocean
US oil and gas drilling is once again at the center of a high-stakes decision that could shape America’s coastlines, marine life, and coastal communities for decades. This episode asks a critical question: should the U.S. lock itself into new offshore drilling just as climate risks and ocean damage are accelerating, or is there still time to choose a safer path for the ocean and future generations? Offshore drilling impacts go far beyond fuel production, and Oceana campaign director Joseph Gordon explains why oil spills are not short-term disasters but long-term crises. One of the most...
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Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents: The Hidden World Beneath the Pacific That Shapes Life on Earth
How To Protect The Ocean
Deep sea hydrothermal vents reveal a hidden world where life thrives without sunlight, forcing scientists to rethink how ecosystems can exist in extreme heat, pressure, and darkness. Nearly two kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean, superheated fluids erupt from the seafloor at Endeavour, creating environments that challenge everything we thought we knew about life on Earth and how it survives. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are not isolated deep ocean curiosities, they actively influence the chemistry of the entire Pacific Ocean. In this episode, scientists explain how minerals and iron released...
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Climate Solutions for the Ocean: How Restoring Kelp Forests Could Change the Future of the Seas
How To Protect The Ocean
Climate Solutions for the Ocean are urgently needed as warming seas, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse accelerate faster than most people realize, and one of the most powerful tools may be hiding just beneath the waves. In this episode, Andrew Lewin sits down with Scott Bohachyk, Director of Seaforestation at Ocean Wise, to explore how kelp forests function as underwater life support systems for the ocean, supporting fisheries, stabilizing coastlines, and helping ecosystems recover from climate stress. Kelp forests have declined by up to 50 percent globally, with some regions losing...
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Tree-Free Products Are Disrupting Big Industry and Saving Thousands of Trees
How To Protect The Ocean
Tree-Free Products are disrupting industries that have relied on the same wasteful materials for more than a century, and the shift is happening faster than most people realize. In this episode, we explore how Emerald Ecovations produces over 370 sustainable alternatives without cutting down a single tree, dramatically reducing carbon emissions, water use and ocean-bound pollution. Ralph Bianculli shares why legacy companies resist change and how younger decision-makers are pushing corporate purchasing toward genuine sustainability. Sustainable business is more than a buzzword; it is the...
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Mass penguin die off explained, the shocking truth behind why African penguins are disappearing and what it means for our future
How To Protect The Ocean
Mass penguin die off explained, a crisis that wiped out ninety five percent of some African penguin colonies, raises a heartbreaking question: how does a thriving species fall to fewer than ten thousand breeding pairs and almost no one sees it happening? This episode uncovers the chain reaction that pushed an entire population toward collapse, from vanishing sardines to the brutal timing of the molt that left tens of thousands of penguins starving. One of the most emotional discoveries in the research was that more than sixty thousand penguins died simply because they did not have enough body...
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Marine Wildlife Victory: Why New Protections for Manta Rays and Sharks Change Everything
How To Protect The Ocean
Marine Wildlife Victory raises a powerful question: what does it take to finally protect some of the ocean’s most threatened giants, and why did it take this long? In this episode, you will hear how manta rays, devil rays, and several shark species faced years of intense pressure from overfishing and international trade, and why the world finally agreed they needed stronger protection. The emotional turning point comes when we uncover that manta ray gill plates were so valuable in global markets that populations were declining faster than conservationists could respond. Shark Conservation...
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Northern Right Whale Hope Story: Why the Population Finally Rose and What It Means Next
How To Protect The Ocean
Northern Right Whale crisis: For years, scientists and advocates have watched this critically endangered species decline due to ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and rapid ocean change. This episode asks a crucial question: Does the first population increase in years signal real recovery or just a temporary pause in a long-term crisis, and what must change now to keep that number rising? Whale conservation stories: Oceana campaigner Nora Ives brings clear insights into how monitoring efforts and shifting whale behavior shape our understanding of their future. She explains how...
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What’s behind your canned tuna? The shocking truth supermarkets never tell you
How To Protect The Ocean
Supermarket tuna raises a disturbing question: What’s behind your canned tuna? In this episode, you uncover the hidden human cost of the global tuna industry, including the devastating story of fisherman Deby Putra Bunanda, whose health collapsed after months at sea supplying tuna for major supermarket brands. His experience reveals a deeper and darker truth about forced labor, long deployments without oversight, and the human suffering behind one of the world’s most common foods. The surprising emotional insight: Bunanda returned home barely able to walk or speak after seven months at...
info_outlineToday's episode of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast dives deep into the world of orcas. From the consideration of two species of orca to the tragic death of an orca at Marineland in France, and a delicate rescue operation for a mother orca off the coast of Vancouver Island, host Andrew Lewin covers it all.
Tune in to stay updated on the latest ocean news and learn how you can make a difference for our marine friends.
Link to one of the articles: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/06/stranded-orca-calf-rescue-canada/
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Efforts are being made to reunite the stranded calf with its extended family of transient orcas to ensure its survival. The calf, left orphaned after its mother tragically drowned in a scenic lagoon off the coast of Vancouver Island, is in a precarious situation. The calf is unable to survive on its own in the lagoon, as it requires marine mammal meat such as seals or sea lions for sustenance, rather than the birds it has been seen hunting.
A team of marine mammal experts, drone technicians, veterinarians, environmental consultants, and indigenous people are working together to devise a plan to reunite the calf with its extended family. The hope is that the calf's grandmother, aunts, and other members of the transient orca family will come to the lagoon to retrieve the calf. However, the calf is currently unable to navigate the narrow passage out of the lagoon on its own.
Various methods have been considered to facilitate the calf's reunion with its family. Initially, attempts were made to entice the calf out of the lagoon by playing sounds that mimic the calls of its family members. However, this method was unsuccessful. Other options, such as using a helicopter to lift the calf out of the water or craning it out and transporting it to the other side of the lagoon, are being considered. These methods pose risks to both the calf and the crew involved, as being out of water for an extended period can be stressful and dangerous for the orca.
The indigenous people in the area have a deep cultural connection to the orcas, viewing them as symbolic of their ancestors. The orca's role in their stories is significant, further emphasizing the importance of saving the stranded calf. The collaborative efforts of experts, including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, veterinarians, and indigenous communities, highlight the urgency and complexity of the situation.
The clock is ticking for the calf, and a decision must be made soon to ensure its survival. The tragic loss of its mother, who was pregnant at the time of her death, adds to the urgency of reuniting the calf with its family. The ultimate goal is to ensure the well-being and survival of the orphaned calf by reuniting it with its extended family of transient orcas.