Hear the Voice of Ocean Life
“OUR OCEAN NEEDS YOU”
The Last Journey
Matriarch Gala travelled north, from Spain to the Wadden Sea coast, with son Titan. Starved and poisoned by PCBs, she stranded and died on the beach at Cadzand
Photo: AK Wildlife Cruises
Last of the West Coast Community
From the Hebrides, 60-year-old brothers John Coe and Aquarius still travel south to the Scilly Isles - but alone. Their pod's breeding females have vanished, lost to PCB contamination
Photo: VRT NWS
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The longer Ocean and Orca stories continue on
Our Planet Orca on Patreon,
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new articles and research added as the story unfolds
The Voice of the Orca - "Our Ocean Needs You"
Orcas are Ocean sentinels - their well-being reflects the health of the seas we all share
Contamination, habitat loss and declining food sources continue to threaten
orcas, whales, dolphins and countless other marine species
Three Ways to Take Part
Protecting Ocean life also helps protect our own future
Our Planet Orca
In support of
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14
- Life Below Water -
Working to protect and recover marine ecosystems,
reducing Ocean toxic contamination and pollution,
restoring Ocean health through practical action
Ocean recovery happens one action at a time
DROP BY DROP
Awaken Awareness - Wear the Voice
"Our Ocean Needs You"
World Ocean Day and other international environmental Days are valuable moments of awareness..but Ocean recovery depends on something even more important: persistent action throughout the year, day after day, Drop by Drop
Our Planet Orca is pleased to contribute to that global persistent action through the
Blue Orca Initiative,
by Awakening Awareness - encouraging practical participation by citizens, mariners, researchers, organisations and businesses that share a commitment to Ocean recovery
Would you like to know more?
👉 Continue below to "How You Can Take Part"
Many Drops. One Ocean
"The Voice from within the Ocean"
The Blue Orca Initiative
"Our Ocean Needs You"
The Blue Orca Initiative is the flagship participation programme of
Our Planet Orca.
Whether we work with the Ocean, live beside it, or far inland, every one of us can help it recover. The Blue Orca Initiative recognises, connects and promotes organisations working for Ocean recovery.
We exist to help your work be seen.
The Ocean belongs to no one..
Responsibility for its future belongs to us all
The Initiative brings together science, citizen action and responsible organisations to help restore Ocean health through practical, measurable projects ..supporting the aims of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water – contributing to the UN Ocean Decade by encouraging practical participation in Ocean recovery
Every individual, vessel, school, business and community can contribute their Drop in the Ocean - together, those Drops become practical action
Our Priority is tackling one of the Ocean's most persistent pollutants: PCB contamination Endangering orca populations. As apex predators, orcas accumulate these legacy toxins at exceptionally high concentrations - their rate of accumulation is one of the clearest indicators of the Ocean's health
Our objective is simple: to develop practical solutions that deliver measurable environmental improvements in reduction of PCB contamination and can be replicated in coastal regions around the world
Actions include:
- supporting research and practical remediation
- promoting responsible Ocean stewardship
- encouraging citizen participation
- building partnerships across science, industry and communities
Every Drop Counts – Your Drop Counts – Wear the Voice
"The Voice from within the Ocean tells us that recovery begins by working together"
Blue Orca Initiative - Nominations
Greater public and policy support is needed for ocean rewilding and habitat recovery as protection against further underwater destruction
The Blue Orca Initiative is nominating and promoting organisations making
practical contributions to Ocean recovery
Are you already working for Ocean recovery?
Every Blue Orca Nomination introduces your work to people looking
for practical ways to support your work
Recognition is only the beginning.. Blue Orca helps that work reach further through greater awareness, partnerships and public support
Ready to begin?
👉 Continue below to "How You Can Take Part"
and discover how your organisation can become part of the Blue Orca network for Ocean recovery
Latest Nominations
Here are the latest Nominations put forward to become part of the Blue Orca Initiative.. Each represents work and projects contributing to Ocean recovery and support for them provides the opportunity to widen public awareness and support for restoration of the Ocean
Long-term field acoustics research helping deepen understanding of wild orca populations
🎧 Read the OPO story about OrcaLab →
Restoring two globally significant sea-grass species of exceptional ecological and scientific importance
We work to protect the cetaceans of Algeciras Bay and the Strait of Gibraltar
Make Your Drop in the Ocean
👉 Nominate an individual, organisation or project working in Ocean recovery
Get in Touch
We'ld be pleased to hear from you..
If you have a question, an idea, would like to learn more about the Blue Orca Initiative, or wish to make a Nomination, 👉 Continue below to "How You Can Take Part" or simply send us a message to
nominations@ourplanetorca.net
As a thank you for helping us discover new Ocean initiatives, accepted Nominations are entered into the monthly Blue Orca Draw, with opportunities to receive a free Blue Orca OONY T-shirt and campaign poster
Get the Blue Orca T-shirt - Wear the Voice of the Ocean
">👉 👉 Share with us your Nominations
Whether you're an individual, family, school, researcher, mariner, organisation or business, every practical action and thought helps the Ocean recover
Whether you'ld like to nominate an Ocean project, support Ocean recovery, work together, or simply begin a conversation, we'ld be delighted to welcome you aboard!
One small action can become the first part of a much bigger action
How You Can Make a Nomination
"We ourselves may feel that what we are doing
is just a drop in the Ocean.
But the Ocean would be less
because of that missing drop."
- Mother Teresa
Wear the Voice - "Our Ocean Needs You"
Support Ocean Recovery
Official Blue Orca Initiative OONY Collection at Bonfire
For organisations, businesses and institutions
The next section introduces Clean Ocean Partnership 101 (COP101) -
a consortium working alongside the Blue Orca Initiative that helps organisations, researchers and responsible
commercial partners work together to deliver practical, measurable Ocean recovery
Clean Ocean Partnership 101 (COP101)
To help protect orcas and their marine habitat, the Ocean, the Blue Orca Initiative is being developed alongside Clean Ocean Partnership 101 (COP101). COP101 brings together researchers, mariners, environmental organisations, responsible businesses and corporate partners who share a commitment to practical Ocean stewardship
By combining scientific understanding, innovation and collaborative partnerships, COP101 aims to develop practical solutions that move beyond awareness and towards measurable environmental improvement
A Practical Response
COP 101 is supporting development of practical, nature-based approaches that aim to reduce the long-term impact of legacy marine pollutants while supporting healthier coastal ecosystems
- fungi and microbial degradation
- biochar stabilisation systems
- marine plant remediation
- seabed restoration techniques
- maritime pollution reduction initiatives
- promotion of safer marine practices
Together, practical action becomes lasting change
Helping Ocean initiatives help each other
Building partnerships
Sharing ideas
Growing practical action for Ocean recovery