World Whale Day

Animal awareness days

Held in February, World Whale Day is a special day set aside to celebrate all whale species from oceans across the world. Keep reading to find out more about these awe-inspiring animals and how you can help protect them.

About World Whale Day

You might not have heard of World Whale Day, so here’s everything you need to know.

When is World Whale Day?

World Whale Day takes place on the third Sunday in February. That means that it’s on a different date every year. It’s celebrated on that same Sunday all around the world.

What is World Whale Day?

World Whale Day was initially created in Hawaii to celebrate the native humpback whales. Over the last 40 years, it has become an international day to celebrate all whales and to raise awareness of the risks they face. It’s a great chance to learn what you can do to help.

We’re particularly keen to celebrate World Whale Day in our Whale Heritage Sites. These are key locations for ethical and sustainable whale watching.

8 facts about whales

There are two different types of whales. Baleen whales filter krill and plankton from the water while toothed whales eat larger animals such as fish and squid.
Whales can pass on ‘culture’ to other whales in the form of behaviours and songs.
Whales are highly agile in water. The Beluga whale can even swim backwards.
Whales need to surface to breathe. They can drown if they get caught in fishing nets or plastic waste in the ocean.
Some whales, such as the Bowhead whale, can live for over 200 years.
Whales play an essential role in keeping the oceans healthy and mitigating the effects of climate change.
While commercial whaling used to be the biggest danger to whales, entanglement, pollution, and ship strikes pose the largest threats in modern times.
Visiting a whale world heritage site is the best way to responsibly and sustainably watch whales in the wild.

A juvenile Gray whale is breaching whilst entangled in a lobster trap line off the coast of Mexico.

Why do whales need our protection?

The main threats that whales face around the world are all directly linked to human behaviour. Commercial whaling in the twentieth century killed three million whales, massively reducing whale populations until it was largely banned in 1986. Several countries still allow whale hunting, calling it “scientific whaling”, but whales today mostly face different threats.

Entanglement

Every year, the fishing industry dumps around 800,000 tonnes of fishing gear into the sea, much of which will last for over 600 years. These ropes, fishing nets, and lines can cause significant damage to whales, wrapping around their bodies until they are entangled. This puts whales at risk of — at best — injury and maiming and — at worst — drowning.

Pollution

Our oceans are filled with plastics and other waste. Even when they break down into microplastics, these objects still threaten whales. Microplastics and other pollutants are undoubtedly harmful and we may not know the extent of the damage for many years to come.

Ship strikes

Whales are also at risk from ship strikes. These are very serious incidents that can leave animals maimed or dead. Larger ships may not even be aware that they have hit a whale, let alone have been able to avoid it.

These strikes are also common across whale-watching boats. That’s why attending a whale heritage site is a much safer way to admire these marine mammals safely.

A whale entangled in ghost fishing gear off the coast of California - Sea Change - World Animal Protection

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How to celebrate World Whale Day

Support our Whale Heritage Sites and practice responsible tourism that protects wild animals.
Join campaigns to push for comprehensive legislation to reduce the amount of waste going into our oceans and minimise ship strikes on marine animals.
Raise awareness of the harm plastics cause in the ocean and encourage others to dispose of waste responsibly.
Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date with our efforts to protect whales around the world.

Find out about more animal awareness days

Whale FAQS

Are whales going extinct? Are they endangered?

There are approximately 90 different species of whales living in the wild at the moment and they all face the threats we’ve mentioned. Some of these species are more endangered than others.

13 species of whales are known as ‘great whales’ and seven of these are classed as vulnerable or endangered.

Are whales mammals?

Whales are mammals, which means that they’re warm-blooded, breathe air, and give birth to live young. They have very large lungs, allowing them to spend long periods of time underwater before they come back to the surface to breathe.

Are whales dolphins or fish?

Neither, but they’re much more similar to dolphins. Dolphins and whales are both a kind of mammal known as cetaceans. Some whales have teeth, making them almost indistinguishable from dolphins.

What do whales eat?

Different whales have different diets. Some whales eat tiny plankton (krill) that they sieve from the water with their mouths. Others eat fish and even larger animals such as squid.

Are whales smart?

Whales are highly intelligent, sentient animals. They are great at problem-solving and form complex social relationships with others. They even appear to have an innate ability to recognise and understand emotions.