WSPA Kids for Whales
Whale Facts Did you know… | |  | | | Photo Copyright: Francois Gohier - Ardea London |
There are over 20 species of whale in the world. - Even though whales live in the ocean, they are actually mammals and need to breathe air to survive, unlike fish.
- Whales are found throughout the world's oceans.
- Whales are all members of the scientific order cetacea.
- Whale babies are born alive and are nursed by their mothers, just like human babies!
- Killer whales are actually not whales at all, they are part of the dolphin family.
- Whales have their own languages to communicate with each other. To hear some of the sounds and songs of the whales, visit these websites:
http://whales.greenpeace.org/kids/whales.html
http://dkd.net/whales/wsounds.html
http://www.whalesong.net/
http://neptune.atlantis-intl.com/dolphins/sounds.html
Recommended Books and Videos To learn more about the different whales and dolphins of the world, visit your local library or bookstore and check these books and videos: Books: - Whales: Killer Whales, Blue Whales and More By Deborah Hodge & Pat Stephens, Kids Can Press, March 1999
- Do Whales Have Belly Buttons?: Questions and Answers About Whales and Dolphins By Melvin Berger, Gilda Berger & Higgins Bond,Scholastic Reference, August 1999
- Keiko's Story: The Real-Life Tale of the World's Most Famous Killer Whale By Diane C. Hammond & Nyna Somerville, Peduncle Pr Inc., July 1998
- A Symphony of Whales By Peter Sylvada & Steve Church, Harcourt Children's Books, October 1999
- Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story By Wendy Tokuda, Hanako Wakiyama & Richard B. Hall, Heian International Publishing, Inc., June 1992
- The Whales' Song (Picture Puffins) By Dyan Sheldon & Gary Blythe, Puffin, April 1997
- Splash!: A Book About Whales and Dolphins (Hello Reader! Science Level 3) By Melvin Berger & Gilda Berger, Cartwheel Books, July 2001
- Whales and Dolphins Coloring Book By John Green, Dover Publications, Inc., February 1991
- Whales and Dolphins Stickers By Nina Barbaresi, Dover Publications, February 1992
Videos: Real Animals: A Day with Whales (VHS), Atlantic, June 1995
Whales - An Unforgettable Journey (DVD), E-Realbiz.com, December 1998
Audubon's Animal Adventures: Whales (VHS), HBO Home Video, March 1998
Cradle in the Sea - Killer Whales & Manatee (VHS), Acorn Media, February 1998
Orca: Killers I have known (VHS), Unapix, March 2000
Whaling: Whales in Danger | |  | | | Photo: Paul Wellman - Santa Barbara Independent |
Whaling is the hunting of whales. Whales are hunted for their meat and other body parts. The oil from their bodies has been used to make lipstick, shoe polish and margarine. The practice of hunting whales began in the 9th century when Spain undertook the first organized hunt. By the 20th century, the Netherlands, Denmark, Britain, France, Germany, Norway, Japan and the United States had begun to kill large numbers of whales. Certain species of whales were hunted so much that their numbers began to decline. There were fewer whales than there had been before. In 1946 and international committee called the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was formed to address the issues of whaling and this growing threat to whales. The IWC created three categories of whaling, they are Commercial, Scientific and Aboriginal Subsistence. In commercial whaling, whales are killed for their meat and their parts. In scientific whaling, whales are killed so that their bodies can be studied and catalogued. Aboriginal subsistence is the whaling carried out by native cultures, such as the Native Americans in the United States. These groups of people are given certain rights to hunt whales based upon their cultural history and dependence upon whale meat. Due to the danger of extinction facing many whale species, the IWC voted to suspend all commercial whale hunting beginning in 1986. Despite this international agreement to stop killing whales for their parts, several countries continue to kill whales and sell their meat and parts, including Norway, Iceland and Japan. Whales continue to be killed in the United States, Greenland and Russia under the aboriginal subsistence rule. Whales are most often killed using a primitive weapon called a harpoon. The harpoon has a grenade attached that explodes when the harpoon enters the body of the whale. It can take a very long time for some whales to die which causes additional suffering and fear in these gentle animals. There is no humane way to kill a whale. Despite international pressure, the best effort of the IWC and grassroots movements to "save the whales" around the world, whaling continues to be a danger facing whales and their future here on earth. Here is a list of the whales most often hunted for commercial, scientific and aboriginal subsistence whaling (click on the species to learn more about each type of whale): Baird's beaked whale - Japan Bowhead whale - United States and Russia Bryde's whale - Japan Fin whale - Greenland Gray whales - Russia Humpback whale - St. Vincent and the Grenadines Long finned pilot whale - Japan and the Faroe Islands Minke whale - Japan, Iceland, Norway and Greenland Sei whale - Japan Short finned pilot whale - Japan Sperm whale - Japan To learn more about the cruel practice of whaling, please read (links to Troubled Waters Executive Summary).
Wild for Whales: A guide to watching whales Without a doubt, the best way to learn about and get up-close-and-personal with whales is to go on a whale watching tour. On your tour, you'll witness whales socializing, frolicking and living their lives as nature intended. Nothing can compare with the experience of watching these gentle giants as they navigate their ocean world, guided by their natural instincts, hanging out with their families and friends or just cruising the waves. Whale watching tours, when operated with a concern for safety and education, allow a rare and unique opportunity for the general public to catch a glimpse of whales in the wild and helps to instill a sense of stewardship and a desire for conservation. Some things to know before you set sail:  Choose a tour that places the interests of the whales above their own by voluntarily following and surpassing all whale watching regulations and guidelines. Remember, we are guest of the whales and we should respect their wild natures. All whale watching tours should strive to cause the least amount of disturbance to the whales they encounter.
Choose a tour that emphasizes whale education and conservation by having a trained naturalist or marine mammal specialist on board to help you identify the whales you see and their individual behaviors. Choose a tour that ensures the safety of their passengers by employing a captain and crew familiar with the local area, trained in first aid and committed to providing their guests with a safe and exciting encounter with marine life.
Whales: Activities & Games Love whales? Want to learn more about them AND enjoy some fun activities and games involving whales? If so, follow the web links below to have a whale of a good time! http://www.whaletimes.org/whakids.htm - whether you want to read about whales or write a part of the "Neverending WhaleTale," this website offers a wide range of games and activities concerning whales. http://www.wdcs.org - Welcome to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society's webpage. This page offers whale games, trivia, puzzles, adopt a whale programs and a wealth of whale information for kids. http://www.savethewhales.org/games.html - Save the Whales website offers a series of whale puzzles and games that you can purchase to play with your friends and family at home.
Teachers: | |  | | | Peggy Oki and interested children at her origami table at the EDay festival in Santa Barbara, CA.
Photo: Paul Wellman - Santa Barbara Independent |
Are you interested in introducing your class to the whales of the world and the issues facing their survival? If so, here are a few ideas for getting your students curious about our ocean neighbors. 1) Read about the different whales of the world and choose their favorite. Then have the students write report and draw a picture of their whale for show and tell.
2) Select an educational video about whales and have students discuss their points of view on whales and whaling.
3) Compare and contrast whales to fish to humans.
4) Create a model of a whale using Popsicle sticks, clay, etc.
5) Write letters to protect the whales. (See Writing Letters to Save the Whales)
6) Start a classroom origami whale drive. 7) Collect pennies, cans, etc. to raise money as a donation to help save the whales.
8) Have students write a conservation plan to protect their favorite species of whale.
9) Set up a debate on the intelligence of whales having half the class in support and half in opposition.
10) Organize a field trip to a local marine mammal stranding center or a whale watch. For even more ideas about creative ways to get your students thinking about whales and detailed teaching plans, visit: http://www.42explore.com/whale.htm
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/whales.htm
Writing letters to save the whales:
You can help save the whales by writing letters to urge members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), your legislators and foreign leaders to use their authority to protect whales and to maintain the current ban on commercial whaling and to extend this restriction to scientific whaling. The IWC is an international body of governments that is responsible for managing the way in which whales are treated and used globally. Please send your letters to your IWC representative and encourage them to do all that they can to protect whales for this generation and the next. Request that they reconvene the Whale Working Group to address whale killing methods and welfare issues. To find your IWC representative, click here. You can also send a letter to your local and state representatives to let them know about your concerns for the welfare and conservation of whales. Fundraising and Organizing for the Whales!
Fundraising
Fundraising can be a great way of helping to protect animals, including whales. It can also be fun and very simple to organize. Follow our step-by-step guide and you can't go wrong! A good starting point is to think of what kind of event you would like to organize, and then brainstorm ways in which that event could be designed to raise money. Always try to involve as many people as possible (e.g. friends, family, classmates, or co-workers) to think of ideas and to share the organizing. If they can't help with the actual event, ask if they can help by telling their friends and family members about it. Be sure to publicize your event by hanging up signs around town, alerting the local newspapers and spreading the word to your family and friends. Here are just a few ideas for raising money for the whales: sponsored walk
bake sale
garage sale
treasure hunt
veggie barbecue
Information booth
pet sitting
whale video night - sponsored movie watching
dog walking, baby-sitting, house cleaning or lawn mowing Or just think of your favorite activity and ask friends and family to sponsor you for doing it. With a little bit of planning you can raise a lot of money to help save the whales!! Organizing - The first step to getting organized is to form a group - a group can be you and a few friends or your entire classroom! Come up with a name for your group and design a logo.
- Become an expert on your issue, in this case, whales and the threats to their survival. Read and research whales and whale related topics.
- Contact conservation groups and welfare organizations that share your concern for whales. Ask them how your group can help them to protect whales.
- Create a flyer or fact sheet outlining your position. Leafleting in public places can get your message out to a large audience in a short amount of time. Another great way to spread your message is to create a website for your group where visitors can learn about the issues, your mission and leave messages.
- Decide what your group hopes to accomplish and develop a plan of action such as letter writing, educational demonstrations, art projects, etc.
- Organize field trips to marine mammal stranding centers or wild whale watches - share your experiences with others.
Become a Whale Activist! - Join a whale conservation group
- Write letters to protect whales - letters to your local editor or to the Japanese Embassy in your country to protest the killing of whales
- Volunteer at a local marine mammal stranding center
- Read the newspaper on Internet news sites and keep track of all articles involving whales
- Go whale watching and explain to your friends and families why it is better to view wild whales than those trapped in captivity
- Don't attend captive whale and dolphin shows
- Start your own whale group with your friends or classmates
- Start a website dedicated to your efforts to protect whales
- Don't buy products made from ivory or made with "fish or marine oil" which can come from whales
- Protest balloon launches in your community. The balloons often travel for many miles ending up in our oceans where they may be eaten by whales. Deflated balloons can kill whales and other marine life when they are eaten.
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