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Whales and dolphins don't recognise borders and some 25 percent of the world's whales and dolphins are under critical threat.
A 2008 IUCN (World Conservation Union) re-categorization of the status of whale and dolphin species globally places many on the IUCN Red List. And for many others, a question mark still hangs over their heads.
Since so many followers of Aran-Isles.Com are based in America (more than 50%) we draw attention to an entertaining and art-filled evening on behalf of our cetacean friends.
 
A Whale Affair, is the Whale and Dolphin Society North America the  WDCS' first annual fundraiser and it begins at 7pm at the Isaac Winslow House in Marshfield Massachussetts and highlights the importance of whales and dolphins in our lives and imaginations while connecting people of on both sides of the Atlantic to whales and the environment.

Mark Simmonds, Director of Science for WDCS said: "We expect that many of the ocean's great whales, including the humpback whale, will be affected by the changes in the seas caused by climate change, and particularly those found in polar regions. In fact, most of the world's great whales feed in polar regions where climate-driven changes are now happening swiftly."

"The IUCN has taken the affects of climate change into consideration in the case of the polar bear, and the same now needs to be done with the humpback whale and other whale species."


Climate change can affect the distributions of whales, with the potential for a cascade of effects such as exposure to new diseases, competition with other species and changes in prey populations. As local conditions change, populations of krill, which Antarctic great whales depend on for food, may decline.

The Cape Cod Mermaid and WATD radio are making A Whale Affair a whale of a good time. A tax-deductible donation of $35 will include a catered evening with Harpoon beer, entertainment, whale and ocean themed art, and a chance to bid on truly unique experiences during a silent auction. All the art will be whale, dolphin, or ocean themed, so come be inspired while raising money for crucial WDCS programs that help protect whales and the oceans. In addition to selling art by professional artists, we will also be  exhibiting and auctioning whale art by world renown scientists and conservationists.  Also up for auction are trips, such as a weekend retreat to Key West, or an unique day researching whales with WDCS staff.

We have also planned a musical evening with sea shanties sung by the Rum Soaked Crooks, sea stores by renown folklorist Dillon Bustin and a live broadcast by WATD radio station. To see more of A Whale Affair visit http://awhaleaffair.org/, where you can also purchase tickets.

WDCS is an international non-profit working to protect cetaceans and their ocean habitat locally and around the world. Our North American office, located in Plymouth, MA. To learn more about WDCS, visit http://www.wdcs-na.org/

The Aran Islands lie eight miles into the Atlantic ocean, scattered somewhere between sea and sky, out there on the edge of Europe with their very own place in our cultural imagination. Here on Inis Meain, (or Inishmaan), the middle and thankfully least despoiled of the islands that seems especially so. Aran-Isles.com is for anyone who has dreamed of Aran or been there on the tiny plane or the ferry. Perhaps you have seen the astonishing art of Sean Scully, the plays of Martin MacDonagh or JM Synge. Aran's influence and people scattered across the globe, from the Concannon Vineyards of Northern California to MacDonagh's plays on Broadway.The islands unspoilt environment is an ideal laboratory for monitoring global warming, which is starting to happen. But the islands are also threatened by cowboy development, unsustainable practices and a lack of wise leadership. Aran-Isles.com is a wake up call for anyone interested in the future prosperity and protection of the islands. Get involved