From designing safe and innovative field research techniques to advising how to conserve natural habitats and stopping commercial whaling, WWF has been a leader in whale and dolphin conservation for over 50 years.

These efforts have resulted in a deeper understanding of species and their habitats, the establishment of new marine protected areas and sanctuaries, and major shifts in policy and practice from local to global levels.

While we and our partners have made progress, cetaceans – whales, dolphins and porpoises – remain under pressure globally. An estimated 300,000 are killed each year as a result of fisheries bycatch, in addition to other threats, including increasing ship traffic and loss of critical habitats, accelerated by climate change.

In response, in 2020 WWF launched the Protecting Whales and Dolphins Initiative – a global conservation programme to equip experts, industry, policymakers and governments with tools to respond to these threats and solutions to safeguard these ocean giants for future generations.

The Initiative is based out of WWF Australia with active participation from national offices and regional programmes including Antarctica, Arctic, Chile, Germany, France, India, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.