ANNUAL REVIEW
2012
A YEAR OF CHANGE Welcome to the review of our 25th year – one that saw us adopt new strategies to face modern challenges
Chris Butler-Stroud Chief executive WDC 2 WDC 2013
MAIN IMAGE: NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
2012 was an exciting, challenging and successful 25th year for Whale and Dolphin Conservation. We stepped up our investigative and campaigning work around the globe, achieving some notable successes and, as you will see from our new name, look and website, 2012 was also a year of change for the organisation. Over the past 25 years we have made some significant advances in the continuing fight for an end to whaling, captivity, and to create safe homes for whales and dolphins. But, in that time, new threats have emerged in the form of marine litter and climate change, and in 2012 WDC formally placed the rights of whales and dolphins at the heart of everything we will do in the years to come. To face the challenges of today, new and old, we need a brand that reflects more accurately who we are, and that speaks to audiences globally – decision makers and people like you who care deeply about whales and dolphins. Thanks to the support of some fantastic, creative people, our updated brand cost us very little, which enables us to continue, as always, to put as much of the money we raise back into work to protect whales and dolphins, and to achieve our vision – a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.
WHY PROTECT WHALES AND DOLPHINS?
There is so much that we don’t know about whales and dolphins. But scientific evidence is helping us to understand more and more about their mysterious world, and shows us just how incredible they are. In many ways they are just like us – using tools to hunt prey, passing on knowledge from generation to generation, right down to the social activity and the game playing that they take part in. Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent and, as such, never cease to amaze us. Yet, every day, whales and dolphins are placed in harm's way by man-made threats. And that is why they need our help to protect them against hunting, captivity, pollution, horrific injury in fishing nets and gear, the dangers of increased boat traffic and many other things. WDC is dedicated to saving whales and dolphins, using the vital funds we are given to do so. We rely on the generosity of all our supporters, major donors, trusts and other funders to enable us to do what we do. WDC believes that whales and dolphins have the right to live freely without having to face these daily threats. If you believe in these rights, then you would be right to join us.
CONTENTS
4 Whaling 6 Safe homes for whales and dolphins 8 Ending captivity 10 Dolphin hunts 12 Communities and volunteering 14 It's all thanks to you! 16 Scottish Dolphin Centre 17 Finances 18 Our partners 20 Contact details
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There is no humane way to kill a whale at sea. The hunting process can never be an exact exercise – whales are a moving target, often shot at from moving ships using grenade harpoons – meaning that the whales are subjected to a long, slow and painful death. Despite bans on commercial whaling and the trade in whale products, Japan, Norway and Iceland still kill 1,500 whales
between them each year. We can’t be sure that whale populations can survive largescale hunting. WDC is leading the fight to end whaling and the trade in whale products by campaigning against this brutal practice, exposing illegal trade and working with governments around the world to represent the whales and the views of our supporters.
GREENLAND PREVENTED FROM KILLING ANY MORE WHALES IN 2013
An undercover investigation by WDC revealed that Greenland (a Danish overseas territory) had been actively undermining the International Whaling Commission (IWC) ban on commercial whaling by selling whale meat – to tourists – from whales that are allowed to be killed only for the nutritional needs of local aboriginal people. Following the revelations, Greenland has not been allowed a whaling quota (number of whales it can kill) by the IWC for 2013. 4 WDC 2013
Whale meat is being openly sold in Greenland
ALL PICTURES WDC UNLESS NOTED
STOPPING WHALE HUNTS
WDC/AWI
Whale meat illegally sold in Iceland was removed after pressure from WDC and others
An undercover operation in Denmark carried out by a WDC team revealed whale meat from Greenland openly on sale commercially in Denmark in breach of European Union (EU) laws which ban EU Member States from the killing and commercial sale of whales.
WDC uncovered whale meat on sale to tourists in Denmark
WDC IS LEADING THE FIGHT TO END WHALING AND THE TRADE IN WHALE PRODUCTS BY CAMPAIGNING AGAINST WHALE HUNTS, EXPOSING ILLEGAL TRADE AND WORKING WITH GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD
ILLEGAL WHALE MEAT SALES AT ICELAND’S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPOSED
Working with partner organisation Animal Welfare Institute, WDC exposed the illegal sale of whale meat at Iceland’s main airport. The open sale of the meat to travellers defies the worldwide ban on trade in whale products and our investigation prompted the US, UK and other EU governments to issue warnings to tourists who risked breaching international law. The meat was removed from sale at the airport shortly afterwards.
WDC/ROB LOTT
WE EXPOSED THE ILLEGAL SALE OF WHALE MEAT IN DENMARK
THE ILLEGAL SALE OF WHALE SKIN COCKTAIL IN LONDON BAR UNCOVERED
Imports of whale products are illegal in EU Member States
Police conducted a search of an exclusive cocktail bar in London (listed in the world’s top 20) following an undercover investigation by WDC into the illegal use of whale skin in drinks sold on the premises. Import of whale products like this into Britain and other EU countries is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The drink was withdrawn from sale. 2013 WDC 5
CREATING SAFE HOMES FOR WHALES AND DOLPHINS
ROB LOTT/WDC
Populations of whales and dolphins need the places they call home to be kept safe and protected from hunting, the harmful effects of some forms of fishing and the growing levels of noise in the ocean caused by military exercises, underwater surveys for oil and gas, and the construction of wind farms
WE HELPED STOP SEA TURBINES BEING PLACED IN A VITAL ORCA HABITAT
Quick WDC supporter action put pressure on developers to withdraw a proposal to install potentially harmful sea turbines in a vital orca habitat in British Columbia, Canada.
36,736 SIGNATURES
WDC proved just how much people want protection for whales and dolphins in Scotland when we handed over an impressive 36,736 signatures from members of the public to the Scottish Government, asking to include whales and dolphins in Scotland’s new marine protected area network in 2013. 6 WDC 2013
Dr Mike Tetley and WDC’s Sarah Dolman hand over the petition to Scottish Environment Minister, Richard Lochhead
WE HELPED CREATE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS OFF COSTA RICA, AUSTRALIA, IN THE CARIBBEAN AND BEYOND
ALL PICTURES WDC UNLESS NOTED
WDC helped to secure the creation of a sanctuary off Costa Rica to protect endangered blue whale feeding and breeding grounds, and provided key information that helped create protected areas for whales and dolphins in the Caribbean region. Our work played a crucial part in Australia’s decision to create the largest marine sanctuary in the world. WDC continues its work to create marine protected areas for whales and dolphins in the Russian Commander Islands, the Antarctic (Ross Sea), and to improve protection for the harbour porpoise in European and international waters.
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Origami whales and dolphins presented to the European Parliament to help stop captivity
ENDING CAPTIVITY Keeping whales and dolphins captive is cruel. Here are some of the ways WDC is working hard to campaign against this brutal practice
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cover each day in their natural environment. Hundreds of whales and dolphins are still held like this in many countries around the world, forced to perform tricks for food. Putting whales and dolphins in tanks for our ‘entertainment’ is wrong. WDC is working to end these shows and stop this captive cruelty.
EXPOSING THE MISUSE OF DRUGS ON CAPTIVE DOLPHINS
DESIGNARMADA.DE
Captive whales and dolphins live shorter lives than they do in the wild, they suffer high levels of stress and their capture from the wild is brutal, with many dying during transportation. Those that survive are then held in small tanks where it is impossible for them to travel the 100mile distances they can
After the evaluation of previously hidden data from the dolphinarium in Nuremberg, Germany, WDC exposed evidence of the use of tranquilisers, including Valium, to control dolphins held in captivity.
HONG KONG AIRLINES STOP CARRYING DOLPHINS
Every year, large numbers of dolphins are taken from the wild and flown to marine parks around the world. Those that survive transportation live a life of confinement in a tank, performing tricks. In 2012, after coming under pressure from organisations like WDC, Hong Kong Airlines agreed to stop the cruel transport of live dolphins.
30,000
ORIGAMI DOLPHINS DELIVERED TO THE EU WDC and partner organisation OceanCare handed over 30,000 origami whales and dolphins to the European Parliament as part of a protest campaign against dolphins held captive in tanks at dolphinaria across Europe.
DOLPHINARIUM BLOCKED
WDC spearheaded a campaign that helped block a proposal to build a new dolphinarium in the Caribbean and helped convince Switzerland to ban dolphin imports. Artist's impression of how we can watch dolphins without disturbing them
ANIMAL PUBLIC
A SANCTUARY FOR THE RELEASE AND RETIREMENT OF CAPTIVE DOLPHINS
Merlin Entertainments and WDC announced a partnership to create the world’s first dolphin sanctuary that will rehabilitate, release and retire captive dolphins.
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Using extremely cruel methods, dolphins are brutally killed in the Faroes and Japan. WDC longs to see an end to this barbaric behaviour
D HAGMANN
The horrific drive hunt in Taiji
HANS PETER ROTH
Pilot whales in the Faroes are hauled away
BRINGING AN END TO DOLPHIN HUNTS 10 WDC 2013
HANS PETER ROTH
D HAGMANN
Following their capture, pilot whales are brutally slaughtered
Drive hunts are a horrifically cruel practice. In places like the Faroes and Japan, dolphins and small whales are herded by boats into a cove area where most are then brutally slaughtered. In Japan, those kept alive are sold for large sums of money to marine parks around the globe. This money helps fund the hunts so that the slaughter can continue.
EXPOSING THE CRUELTY
WDC has continued its work to expose the cruelty behind these horrific hunts through publicity in the mainstream media and through scientific analysis of the killing methods being used in the dolphin drive hunts in Japan.
KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE
WDC has continued with its presence in the Faroes and in Japan, monitoring and documenting drive hunt activity in both countries. WDC representatives have also kept up political pressure, working with the US State Department, including briefing the US Embassy in Tokyo on the drive hunts, and we continue to target those airlines who transport dolphins.
Exposing drive hunts in the national press
WDC CONTINUES ITS WORK TO EXPOSE THE CRUELTY BEHIND THESE HORRIFIC HUNTS THROUGH PUBLICITY IN THE MEDIA AND ANALYSIS OF THE METHODS USED 2013 WDC 11
COMMUNITIES AND VOLUNTEERING A round-up of some WDC activities carried out by communities and volunteers around the world ARGENTINA
In a joint project with Fundacion Cethus, an Argentinean NGO, WDC is developing a conservation project to save Franciscana dolphins, the most endangered dolphin in the south west Atlantic region. Coastal communities, near sites where Franciscana dolphins can be found, are helping scientists to study the rare river dolphins which live in estuaries. School children have also become actively involved in this joint educational project by developing activities, including presentations, posters and drawings about the problems faced by the Franciscanas. More than 5,000 children from Viedma, Carmen de Patagones and El Condor in Northern Patagonia attend this successful programme. These communities are ensuring that the rare dolphins will continue to reside in their fragile habitats for generations to come.
Children in Argentina help protect Franciscana dolphins
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FIJI
WDC has been running workshops in Moon Reef, led by the Dawasamu Environment Movement. They encourage local fisheries officers to conserve and protect spinner dolphins that may be regular visitors to the area. The workshops have enabled the officers to better advise, support and manage their local marine environment. WDC is also working in collaboration with the University of the South Pacific to provide local students with an opportunity to work on projects, such as the recent establishment of a Marine Protected Area at Moon Reef. One student, Samanunu Simpson, is studying the sounds made by spinner dolphins at Moon Reef and will be the first Pacific Islander to complete a master’s degree on whales or dolphins in the region. Her invaluable work has already earned her the inaugural WDC Bharathi Viswanathan Award for
Workshop on spinner dolphins in Moon Reef Innovative and Non-invasive Research. This annual prize was established to honour the memory of Bharathi Viswanathan who, in June, 2012 bequeathed a generous legacy to WDC.
DESIGNARMADA.DE
Workshops in Fiji encourage local fisheries to protect spinner dolphins
ALL IMAGES WDC UNLESS NOTED
GERMANY
WORKING ON ONE OF WDC'S CAMPAIGNS HAS BEEN AN IMMENSELY SATISFYING EXPERIENCE. FROM EDUCATING TOURISTS TO CHALLENGING SUPERMARKETS ... I HAVE RARELY – IF EVER – DONE MORE FULFILLING WORK
Painstaking and vital work carried out by WDC interns in Germany has helped WDC uncover key information about the medical treatment of dolphins held at the Nuremberg Zoo, including information on their health, reproduction and the types of drugs they have been given. WDC was then able to analyse the zoo’s treatment of the dolphins, proving that it had broken EU zoo regulations.
Children in El Condor find out about the rare Franciscana dolphin
UNITED KINGDOM
Ben Mallion (pictured right) has been volunteering to help WDC stop whaling for a long time. He is a well-seasoned researcher whose work has helped to shape key campaigns. Over the last year, he has worked on several campaigns, including ‘Don’t buy fish from whalers’. Ben’s work included hours of research to determine where Grandi, an Icelandic whaling company, sold its fish in the UK. Ben also worked on the ‘Don’t eat
the locals!’ campaign, researching the consumption of whale meat in Iceland by tourists, and compiling a list of whalefriendly restaurants in the country. ‘Working on one of WDC’s central campaigns has been an immensely satisfying experience,’ says Ben. ‘From educating tourists in Iceland about this inherently cruel and unnecessary industry, to challenging supermarkets and restaurants to speak out against it in the UK and abroad, I have rarely, if ever, done more satisfying and fulfilling work in my entire time as a volunteer.’ 2013 WDC 13
IMAGE: GILLIAN WHITE
Gillian White at the peak of Kilimanjaro
IT'S ALL THANKS TO YOU! Whales and dolphins never cease to astound us. At WDC we have similar feelings when we hear about the things our supporters do to help us protect these magnificent creatures. Every achievement we celebrate on these pages is because of you
TOGETHER WE WILL STOP WHALING
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Judith Adlhoch and her son Rocco
JUDITH ADLOCH
In July 2012, hundreds of you joined WDC and SEA LIFE for our annual Walk for Whales, raising vital funds for our campaign to stop whaling. Further funds were raised when our Patron Miranda Krestovnikoff captained the team that raced to victory in the Bristol Dragon Boat race in September, 2012. Gillian White took on one of the biggest challenges around in October, 2012 when she climbed to the top of Kilimanjaro, while Natalie Barefoot ran her very first marathon in Geneva, and a WDC team consisting of eight interns, supporters and staff took on the Munich Marathon.
ACHIM SCHLÖFFEL
Achim Schlöffel undertook a record-breaking dive across the English Channel
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School children from Holt Primary School with their origami dolphins
ALL OVER THE WORLD YOU HAVE STOOD WITH US TO END THE MISERY OF WHALE AND DOLPHIN CAPTIVITY
WE WILL CREATE SAFE HOMES FOR WHALES AND DOLPHINS Tens of thousands of you got behind our campaign to create safe homes for
JUDITH ADLHOCH
Canoeists on a fundraising expedition on the River Spey WDC
All over the world you have stood with us to end the misery of whale and dolphin captivity. We loved the sand sculpture created by German supporter Sasha Abdolmadjid that highlighted the plight of Morgan, one of many captive orcas. Children in schools in Haiti and the US linked together to raise awareness, while Clemens Purtscher and Chloe Yzoard translated our EU captivity report into German and French, and Rosalie e’Silva produced our campaign film. German TV presenter and WDC supporter, Judith Adlhoch, and her son, Rocco, made a video demonstrating how to make origami dolphins – and our supporters made 30,000 of them! Special thanks to pupils at Elgin Academy in Scotland for getting involved and to Vicky and Stefan Kalus in Germany who got their friends, schools and colleagues engaged, presenting us with 7,000 paper dolphins.
Scottish whales and dolphins, with more than 36,000 supporters signing the petition we presented to the Scottish Government. In June 2012, German supporter Achim Schlöffel undertook a record-breaking dive across the English Channel from Dover to Calais, raising vital funds for our campaign. In Scotland, six intrepid canoeists took to the waters of the River Spey in a three-day fundraising expedition, visitors to our Dolphin Centres signed postcards and made donations, while children at Milnes Primary School created a stunning mural for our Scottish Dolphin Centre’s education room.
A WORLD WHERE EVERY WHALE AND DOLPHIN IS SAFE AND FREE
It’s not just the adventurers we need to thank. You give your money through your whale and dolphin adoptions and your memberships, you recycle your mobile phones and even your cars, you give to our appeals and you help us protect whales and dolphins every single day. Your support is what keeps us going – thank you.
SASHA ABDOLMADJID
WE WILL END CAPTIVE CRUELTY
Miranda Krestovnikoff leads her team to victory at the Bristol Dragon Boat race
Sand sculpture crafted to promote Morgan's plight
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WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS
UK SPOTLIGHT
SCOTTISH DOLPHIN CENTRE WDC/CHARLIE PHILLIPS
WDC’s Scottish Dolphin Centre, in the north east of Scotland, offers our supporters a chance to meet the WDC team in a stunning location overlooking the Moray Firth where bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen
Having fun at the Wildlife Jubilee in June
Over 3,000 people attended our biggest event of 2012 – the Wildlife Jubilee, which took place in June and celebrated Scotland’s great outdoors. Visitors of all ages enjoyed wildlife walks, drumming workshops, bike rides, local food and music. We created a new recycling display at the Centre to raise awareness amongst our visitors about the dangers of marine litter to whales and dolphins. School children visiting the Centre also took part in a Waste Free Lunch Challenge, to learn about the benefits of choosing food with minimal packaging.
IN 2012 WE WERE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME OVER 90,000 VISITORS TO THE CENTRE, OUR BUSIEST YEAR EVER
WDC/JANE TIMMINS
Members of the community in Spey Bay with new sundial sculpture
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The salmon fishing heritage of Spey Bay, including Scotland’s largest icehouse, holds an important place in the local community. We worked with school children and older members of the community to collect stories about life in Spey Bay and created a sundial sculpture to highlight these stories. In 2012, WDC was delighted to receive a Highlands and Islands Tourism Award, recognising the success of the Scottish Dolphin Centre’s campaign ‘See Dolphins Wild and Free’. The campaign encouraged tourists and local people to enjoy watching dolphins in the wild rather than visiting a captive facility. A fantastic team of residential volunteers helped WDC staff to lead outdoor activities for over 1,000 children visiting the Scottish Dolphin Centre. The volunteers also organised fundraising events including a music evening in the historic icehouse and collected valuable data for the Shorewatch programme, which will feed into the process for designating marine protected areas in Scotland.
REVIEW OF FINANCIAL RESULTS In the year ended 30 September, 2012, a total of £4,357,000 was raised by WDC internationally, through whale and dolphin adoption, memberships, legacies, trusts, grants and merchandising. The chart below shows, for the whole organisation and for our subsidiaries in the US and Germany, the split between expenditure on meeting charitable objectives, fundraising and trading, management and administration costs. The total amount spent internationally was £3,460,000 of which £641,000 was used by WDC Germany and £322,000 by WDC North America. Consistently and across all regions, at least 78% of our expenditure is on activities to meet our charitable objectives. The UK spends a higher percentage on fundraising than the US or Germany, but that is commensurate with our direct marketing campaigns in the UK. It also reflects the support and initiatives the UK (which is the largest organisation) is able to provide for our other offices. Our total expenditure during the year has decreased. The difficult economic conditions have directly contributed to this, as we have seen a reduction in our non-legacy income of 10% from last year. We appreciate our supporters who continue to donate as generously as they can, and we work to match what they are able to give to the work we carry out. Near the end of the year we received a large legacy, which has temporarily increased our reserves. We have plans to invest these funds in charitable programmes and in growing our database of supporters, which will allow us to continue to work towards a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. The information in the chart below has been extracted from the audited consolidated accounts for the year ended 30 September, 2012 for the charity and from the audited accounts of the subsidiary companies. A copy of the full consolidated accounts, the report of the auditors and the report of the trustees can be obtained from the company secretary at WDC, Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham SN15 1LJ.
HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT INTERNATIONAL NORTH AMERICA GERMANY 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Trading, management and administration (incl governance) Fundraising Meeting charitable objectives 2013 WDC 17
A BIG THANK YOU! WDC wishes to acknowledge the continued support from corporate partners, trusts and foundations, major donors, donations in memoriam and legacies. We would also like to thank individual members of the public, adopters and WDC members TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
BBC Wildlife Fund MPA Fighting Fund The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust The Downton Banister Trust The Maud Beattie Murchie Charitable Trust The Joyce Cater Charitable Trust The Panton Trust Simon Gibson Charitable Trust The Walker 597 Charitable Trust Loke Wan Tho Memorial Foundation The Kilverstone Wildlife Charitable Trust The Henhurst Charitable Trust The Thornend Charitable Trust The Reed Foundation (BIG GIVE) T D Brunton Charitable Trust John and Barbara Poole Family Funds (Canadian Funder ) Edmonton Community Foundation (Canadian Funder) Patagonia (US) Litowitz Foundation (US) Bank of America Charitable Trust (US) The Sheehan Family Foundation (US)
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The Boston Foundation (US) Gregor Louisoder Umweltstiftung (Germany) Okeanos - Stiftung für das Meer (Germany) Stiftung Pro Animale (Germany) Würde & Recht der Tiere - Stiftung für Tierschutz (Germany)
STATUTORY FUNDING
Scottish Natural Heritage Defra Moray Leader Programme Welsh Government Ecosystem, Resilience and Diversity Fund (administered by the Countryside Council for Wales) NOAA (US) ASCOBANS (Germany)
CORPORATE SUPPORT
Conran Design Group Mark Whelan and the team at Cake Entertainment Lisa Drewe (Newleaf Sustainability Practice) The International Jojoba Export Council Target Dry Ltd Gordon and MacPhail (Benromach)
Glenmore Lodge Elite Courier Company Endsleigh Insurance Profile SEALIFE The Sri Lanka High Commission SriLankan Airlines TowerBrook Foundation Konfidence Hunter Hall BBC Beechgrove Garden Marion Walker Marketing Entergy (US) Chris Hamilton (In The Wild Productions) (US) Paul Robinson (Wildplanetearth) (US) Jeff Mittelstadt (WildSides) (US) Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises (US) Intelsius, Inc. (US) The White Starfish (US) Ternua (US) Moosejaw (US) cetacea GmbH (Germany) Steuler Fliesen GmbH (Germany)
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IMAGE CREDIT: NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
GET IN TOUCH WDC WHALE AND DOLPHIN CONSERVATION Brookfield House 38 St Paul Street Chippenham SN15 1LJ United Kingdom T +44 (0)1249 449500 E info@whales.org whales.org
WDC NORTH AMERICA 7 Nelson Street Plymouth Massachusetts 02360 United States T +1 888 699 4253 E contact@whales.org
WDC DEUTSCHLAND Implerstr. 55 81371 Munich Germany T +49 89 6100 2393 E kontakt@whales.org
WDC AUSTRALASIA PO Box 720 Port Adelaide Business Centre Port Adelaide South Australia 5015 Australia T +61 (0)8 8449 6470 E info.au@whales.org
WDC SCOTTISH DOLPHIN CENTRE Spey Bay Moray IV32 7PJ United Kingdom T +44 (0)1343 820339 E dolphincentre@whales.org
WDC LATIN AMERICA Cap. J.G. BermĂşdez 1598 B1636EMB Olivos Buenos Aires Argentina E info.la@whales.org