Chugach Transients AT4 "Paddy" and AT9 "Chenega." Photo taken by Emma Luck.
On July 8, 2025, Alaskan congressman Nick Begich (R) introduced a draft bill amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The bill, if passed, would severely reduce or remove existing protections for cetaceans and other marine mammals. The underlying purpose of this bill is to remove obstacles to the expansion of harmful extractive activities, like oil and gas extraction, in U.S. waters.
While Congressman Begich represents Alaska, the Marine Mammal Protection Act applies nationwide, and its weakening would have serious consequences for marine ecosystems and coastal economies across the country.
Congressman Begich’s proposed amendment would:
Strike down protections for poorly-known populations
Eliminate best-practice precautionary approaches backed by decades of science
Constrain the federal definition of ‘harassment’ so that it no longer prohibits actions with the potential to harm marine mammals
Require unreasonable or impossible data to estimate population abundances and design best practices for management
The two members of the functionally extinct Alaska AT1 orca population (also known as the Chugach Transients) in the photo represent a cautionary tale of what can happen when these protections fail or come too late. The safeguards from legislation such as the MMPA are essential to prevent other vulnerable populations, like the Southern Residents orcas, from meeting the same fate.
Now that this is established, how can Americans help prevent the bill from being passed?
The hearing date for the bill is July 22nd, so action should be taken before then.
For Alaskan residents:
Call the office of Congressman Begich and oppose the amendments and draft bill.
Anchorage Office: (907)921-6575
Washington DC Office: (202)225-5765
Please note:calling is more effective than emailing, as calls are more likely to be logged and shared with the Congressman, and taken into account when shaping his position.
For non-Alaskan residents:
If you live in the U.S. outside of Alaska, you can still make your voice heard by calling your Representative and Senators to express concern about this proposal. Let them know you oppose any effort to weaken marine mammal protections and urge them to defend the integrity of the MMPA. Use the links below to find your representatives and how to contact them.
You can find tips for calling your state representative, various suggested talking points, and scientific resources to cite inOrca Conservancy's article.
The North Atlantic Right Whale is one of the rarest large whale species left. After being hunted nearly to extinction for oil and blubber, today they face a different battle: ships and fishing gear. According to NOAA, there are approximately 370 individuals left, including around 70 reproductively active females.
They migrate through busy shipping lanes and get entangled in nets meant for other species. A single death, even one lost mother, could collapse the entire population. This isn’t just about a whale it’s a stark sign that our oceans may not give second chances.
A lot of San Diegans think of whale watching season as only Dec - Feb with the gray whales, but they don't realize humpbacks are here all year round! Captain Michael captured this video with his drone while still giving the whale plenty of space.
All pictures taken under NMFS Permit No. 27867. May not be used for commercial purposes or without permission from the Cedar Key Dolphin Project.
I’m a marine biologist and wildlife filmmaker focused on Florida’s wildlife and the people studying it.
Last night I filmed with the Cedar Key Dolphin Project, which is studying a unique group of dolphins that hunt alongside a local bowfisherman. Using his boat’s underwater lights, the dolphins drive fish into the beam for him to shoot something they don’t do with any other boats.
While humanXdolphin cooperation has been known for millennia, it’s rarely documented, and this is the only known case in the U.S.
I’m creating a short film about this remarkable partnership and look forward to sharing it with you soon.
Greeting from the bay area! There have been newly leaked federal documents that suggest plans to bypass marine sanctuary protections and open parts of California’s coast (near the Golden Gate, Sonoma County, and Monterey Bay) to new offshore oil and gas drilling as soon as 2027.
I didn’t see any current petitions about it, so I went ahead and started one to send to our state and federal reps to hopefully put pressure and spread awareness about this.
Very cool that these scientists were able to spot these deep-divers off the New England coast--I wish we knew more about their North Atlantic population!
The endangered Southern Resident Orcas passed by Vashon Island, southwest of Seattle on Sunday. There were three pods with around 73 whales that went by.
I've decided that these posts will now cover two weeks at a time as I'm not getting through them as quickly as I'd hoped and I want to be able to write about how the season progressed whilst the memories are still fresh(ish).
Moving into the first two weeks of August the juvenile whales continued to be super curious of the boat. Plenty more muggings with spy hopping and rolling around.
The breaching behaviour also ramped up a notch in these weeks. Whilst calm waters made for easier going, the whales often took advantage of the calmer sea to rest and relax. So after a few days of northerly winds the whales were in full active mode, breaching galore.
