43 new Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) have been approved and placed on the map in the North West Atlantic Ocean and Wider Caribbean, as it was announced by the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force on 13 February 2025.

A deep dive into where, why, and how whales migrate – and how to protect their blue corridors. From gray whales undertaking epic transoceanic journeys to minkes navigating shorter, seasonal shifts, whale migrations are deeply entwined with the arc of their lives and the health of the world's oceans.

The morning sun reflects on the Mediterranean Sea as our research vessel, the WWF Blue Panda, cuts through the peaceful waters off Greece's northwestern islands. It's July 2024, and from the observation platform, I scan the horizon while our team listens for marine life through our specialized hydrophone trailing behind us - our acoustic window into the deep.

Tropical, sheltered waters are the perfect place for humpbacks to breed and raise their vulnerable calves. But mothers and their babies will soon set off on a perilous journey.

A story on how declining sea ice could be catastrophic for whales around the world, unless we act now to safeguard these incredible creatures for future generations 

From hearing the breathing of thousands of narwhals arriving peacefully in their summering grounds, to having a very close encounter with a blue whale, to listening out for singing humpbacks underwater - these are some of the most incredible whale encounters shared by WWF experts from around the world. Read on to discover more whale tales and celebrate this World Whale Week with us.

WWF condemns Iceland’s recent decision to issue new whale hunting permits for the next five years. This decision by Iceland’s outgoing government means that the country’s commercial whaling industry will be allowed to catch 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales between June and September every year from 2025 until 2029.

Countries celebrated significant breakthroughs on two important, long-debated ocean-related technical decisions, but failed to reach consensus on the resource mobilization and review mechanisms needed to drive progress for the ocean across the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The body responsible for conserving Antarctic marine life has failed to agree on new marine protected areas and taken a substantial step backward on krill fisheries management at its annual meeting in Hobart.

A new report from the WWF Global Arctic Programme highlights the urgency of taking concrete action to safeguard Arctic whales on their migrations, as they are faced with new and growing pressure from climate change and increased shipping activity.

Since 2018, WWF Peru has conducted experimental trials with dolphin pingers to evaluate the reduction of dolphin bycatch in artisanal fishery gillnets.

Using cutting-edge technology, researchers are uncovering profound links among ocean health, climate change, and the denizens of the deep.

The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP14) of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals ended with the adoption of a set of stronger measures for the conservation of migratory species.

Expanding maritime activity in this area of the world presents new risks, including oil spills, vessel strikes, underwater noise, and other forms of human disturbance and pollution. To help mitigate these risks, WWF and the Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK) are working with experts to develop a set of wildlife alerts that MXAK will seasonally broadcast to vessels.

WWF is working with partners to respond to the greatest threat to whales, dolphins and porpoises worldwide. Here we highlight collaborative efforts to implement effective policies in the Indian Ocean.

Deep seabed mining, should it be allowed to proceed, will cause a wide array of impacts on the ocean, including noise pollution, not to mention habitat destruction through the collection of mineral deposits from the seabed.

Whales play an important role when it comes to climate change mitigation. Scientists recently discovered that whales can capture significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. Estimates indicate that one whale’s ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere is equal to that of thousands of trees.

A new alliance commencing with voluntary measures is a significant first to improve the conservation of whales with benefits to other marine life and coastal communities in Chile.

Governments responsible for conserving Antarctic marine life have failed to deliver increased protection at a meeting in Hobart despite the threats of record low sea ice and the first cases of bird flu reaching Antarctica.

With the help of satellite tags, researchers from the University of Western Australia and Macquarie University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau, were able to follow the complete migration cycle of an Australian southern right whale for the very first time.