How to Adopt a Marine Mammal

Have you ever adopted an animal? Did it include birds and bunnies? Hamsters and guinea pigs? Especially dogs and cats?

Whatever you may have taken home in the past, I’d like you now to think bigger.

Adopt a Marine Mammal

Anyone can symbolically adopt some of the world’s most magnificent, most intelligent and most remarkable mammals for as little as $10 USD (NZD $16 approx.). In many cases, you can even bestow a name upon your adoptee. Fortunately, virtually all of these acts of kindness are also tax-deductible in certain countries through these non-profit organisations and their specific ocean conservation programs.

A Few Fun Facts
Throughout my life, I’ve had a deep connection to marine mammals. Here are some memories and facts about these amazing creatures.

Blue Whales – I’ll never forget seeing a spectacular blue whale in the Sea of Cortez over 35 years ago. The largest animals ever recorded to live on Earth, they can grow 80 to 110 feet (25 to 33 metres) long and weigh up to 330,000 pounds (150,000kg). They are truly ginormous! Their tongues weigh as much as an elephant, their hearts are the size of a VW Beetle, and they can live 80 to 90 years on average.

Humpback Whales – I’ve enjoyed watching humpbacks breach, spy hop, fluke, and slap the surface on about a dozen trips to Maui in Hawaii since the 1980s. On my honeymoon, we heard them singing and felt their sound waves ripple through our bodies. Humpbacks have some of the longest migrations of any mammal (up to 6,000 miles or 9,650 km) between breeding and feeding grounds.

They can grow to 60 feet (18 metres) and weigh up to 90,000 pounds (40,800kg). Only males sing their complex songs, which evolve year-to-year. They have unique fluke patterns that distinguish each individual. They can also live for 80 to 90 years.

Gray Whales – From Northern California’s Marin County and San Mateo Coasts, I’ve observed these gentle giants slowly migrating south every year from their Arctic feeding grounds to their breeding grounds in Baja California. They can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes, are the only whale species that primarily feed on the ocean floor, can grow 40 to 50 feet (12 to 15 metres), weigh up to 60,000 pounds (27,215kg), and were nearly hunted to extinction (like other whale species) in the 19^th Century. They also possess the coarsest baleen of all whales.

                                                     Mom and Baby Orca. Photo by Virginia Bria.

Killer Whales (Orcas) – I marvelled at orcas undulating on the surface past my Alaska cruise a few years back; in fact, everybody on the Lido Deck ran to the starboard side to snap photos. As the largest species of dolphin, they’re extremely fast (up to 54 km), live in every ocean of the world, and are top pack-hunting predators. Adult males can reach the size of a school bus (up to 26 feet/9 metres long) and can weigh up to 12,000 pounds/5,440kg.

                                                       Belugas. Photo by Virginia Bria.

Beluga Whales – Sadly, I’ve only seen belugas in captivity, but 'cute and cuddly' often describe these Arctic and sub-Arctic cetaceans. They can grow to 3,500 pounds (1,600kg), live 35 to 50 years, are called 'Canaries of the Sea' for their iconic sounds, and are known for their inquisitive nature because they often approach boats and scuba divers. Little known fact: their snot contains hormones that indicate their stress levels.

                                                         Dolphins Mating. Photo by Virginia Bria.

Dolphins and Porpoises – I had the pleasure of swimming with a dolphin on Hamilton Island within the Great Barrier Reef. When I petted one, it felt like a smooth, incredibly strong tire. But I always love watching either of these sleek mammals racing in front of a dive boat, sailboat, pleasure boat, or cruise ship. While dolphins have longer noses, larger mouths, more curved dorsal fins, and leaner bodies than porpoises, they’re far more prevalent worldwide. They’re both talkative, highly intelligent mammals with complex brains and use sound waves to navigate.

A Few Clicks Can “Blue” Your Adoption

This list details the most popular global organisations where you can symbolically adopt a marine mammal:

Humpbacks + High-Rises: This NBO is based on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. Since 2011, it’s run the biggest marine mammal monitoring programme there, dedicated to the protection and research of marine mammals. HHR’s Adopt a Whale programme allows you to receive a unique package of an individual whale they’ve been tracking, consisting of a certificate and photograph of your whale with all the data collected. You can also name your whale. https://www.hhr.org.au/

Dolphin Research Institute: Based in Victoria, Australia, DRI is a registered, self-funded charity that’s been researching dolphins, whales, and killer whales for 30 years. Through fin and fluke identification and regular surveys, its database is ever-expanding. Your donation helps them protect marine mammals, while your AU$98 (NZ$105 approx.) membership supports research, education, and leadership programmes. https://www.dolphinresearch.org.au/adopt-a-whale/

Oceanic Society: Since 1969, this Northern California-based ocean conservancy has studied and protected whales and other aquatic wildlife, you can get a tax deduction by adopting a humpback whale. Each whale, dolphin, or sea turtle adoption comes with a personalized adoption certificate. Funds go directly to support ocean research and conservation efforts worldwide. The cost is US$60 (NZ$100 approx.) for one year, US$100 (NZ$170 approx.) for two years, and US$1,000 (NZ$1,680 approx.) to name a whale.  https://www.oceanicsociety.org/

Whale and Dolphin Conservation: WDC is the leading global charity dedicated to the protection of whales, orcas, and dolphins. Adoptees receive an educational whale adoption package with your whale’s family tree poster, fact cards, diet, migration patterns, and healthy ocean habitat. The adoption cost is US$50 (NZ$84 approx.) per year or US$30 (NZ$50) for a dolphin mum with calf plush toy. https://us.whales.org/

World Wildlife Fund: WWF's global efforts protect marine mammals and wild animals and their habitats. Every adoption donation helps save endangered wildlife, protect fragile ecosystems, and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. You can adopt 140 animals, including blue whales, humpbacks, orcas, belugas, narwhals, dolphins, green sea and loggerhead turtles, sea otters, walrus and manatees. Cost is US$25 (NZ$42 approx.) for a plush toy; or US$60 (NZ$100) to US$100 (NZ$170 approx.) for a spotlight card, certificate, plush toy, and gift bag. https://www.worldwildlife.org/

Falho: Promoting its 'Track a Real Animal' slogan, Fahlo partners with various non-profits to foster curiosity for wildlife and excitement for their conservation. Every 3D map tracking experience on your phone or tablet includes the Fahlo Protection Ping™, indicating each mammal’s or animal’s unique path, as well as its story, photos, stats, and updates. Choose to adopt about a dozen animals, plus dolphins, sea turtles, seals and manatees. The cost is US$16.95 (NZ$28 approx.) for a colourful journey bracelet containing your mammal’s likeness. https://myfahlo.com/

Oceana: The largest international advocacy organisation is dedicated solely to ocean conservation. It was established in 2001 by a group of leading foundations: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Oak Foundation, Marisla Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. A blue whale or beluga adoption starts at US$10 (NZ$17 approx.), a beluga whale or narwhal keychain adoption is US$25 (NZ$42 approx.), and a humpback or beluga whale plush toy is US$50 (NZ$100 approx.). Hhttps://oceana.org/

                           A Humpback Spyhopping. Photo by Virginia Bria.

Happy Whale: Finally, this global non-profit organisation engages citizen scientists like you and me to identify individual marine mammals – primarily humpback whales – for fun and science, one whale at a time. Its mission is to support healthy oceans. Its network of 7,000+ contributors and the world’s best fluke-matching algorithm has identified more than 40,000 humpbacks. The cost to adopt is US$500 (NZ$840 approx.) to US$1,000 (NZ$1,680 approx.). https://happywhale.com/home

An Actual Humpback Adoption Story

A few months ago, Dr. Virginia Bria, a fellow Marin Scuba Club member in Northern California, USA, visited the Dominican Republic’s Silver Banks to snorkel with Atlantic humpback whales aboard the MV Turks & Caicos Explorer II, with Aquatic Adventures. (By the way, she was on an Antarctica citizen science trip with Blue Green Expeditions and Explorers Club members like Dan Orr last year.)

She wrote, “This destination is the home of over 7,000 whales who migrate here yearly from as far as Norway. We spent six hours for each of five days, in and on the water, observing, photographing, filming, and documenting the behaviors of these magnificent whales during their migration to mate and give birth to their young. What a treat!

“I sent 22 photos to Happy Whale to identify specific whales by their distinctive flukes. They emailed back that they identified two of the whales, but one was nameless, so I’ve donated to adopt that whale and named him “Big Papi” after my fave Boston Red Sox Player from the D.R., MLB Hall of Famer David Ortiz."

See her whale’s amazing adoption migration of 3,949 miles (6,356 km) from Iceland.    

                                  Whale Fluke License Plate. California Coastal Commission.

Enable Your Vehicle to Support Whales

Finally, if you live in California or know some folks who do, you can even showcase your goal to protect our coast and ocean on a license plate through the California Coastal Commission. The cost is US$50 (NZ$84 approx.) over your current registration fee for a standard plate and a US$40 (NZ$67 approx.) annual renewal fee. But if you want to customize your plate with letters and numbers such as “❤️WHALES”, it will cost you US$103 (NZ$172 approx.) for the first year with a renewal fee of US$83 (NZ$139). Many other US states also offer these colorful plates.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/

By adopting a marine mammal, you and your family can know that you’re helping to support ongoing research and the tracking of the world’s most magnificent aquatic creatures.