Welcome to the WDC Orca Whale Adoption Page!
We’re sure you have some questions now that you’ve adopted an Orca whale! Let us help answer a few of them for you.
Do I need to feed my Orca whale?
No worries there. Your Orca whale is great at finding food on their own which should be a huge relief to you. Right now, their favorite salmon averages $30/lb and your whale eats up to 300lbs a day!
Where will I keep my whale?
Another huge sigh of relief as your whale is wild both in the sense of being cool and that it lives in the ocean. As part of the Northern Resident Orca population, your whale ranges from Southeast Alaska to the inlets of British Columbia and northern Vancouver Island.
How will I be able to make sure my whale is OK?
Like most first year college students, whales are not always great at keeping in touch. Also, like kids who go off to college, it is not advisable to constantly track their movements so we do not tag these whales, we rely on photographing them and usually natural markings to log sightings of each whale. We clearly can’t be everywhere whales go so there are times when your whale may be elusive and we don’t get to see them. However, WDC works closely with researchers from OrcaLab, a land based research station on Hanson Island in British Columbia Canada where they manage a catalog (kind of a whale yearbook) so we get pretty reliable updates when they are seen.
What's next?
In about a week or two (up to 4 weeks for international orders), you will receive a packet in the mail with a picture of your whale, a certificate of adoption, and more cool information about orca whales. In the middle of each month, we’ll send you an email with some fun info a few times a year, you’ll even get snail mail from us where we will share the impact of your adoption and how it is helping whales and dolphins around the world.
But my adoption was a gift – when will my recipient get notified of their whale adoption?
Your recipient will receive their packet within a week or two (if in the US – international orders can take up to 4 weeks). Their email will be added to the whale update list mid-month and they will receive their first update email in the middle of the month following the order date. If you would like to let your recipient know about their whale prior to this, please download the adoption certificate from the link at the bottom of this page to present to them. If you have any trouble or have any questions, feel free to contact us at contact@whales.org
Can I tell my friends?
Yes please!!! We love when you brag about your whale. Join us on social media by clicking the links at the bottom of the page and share your impact with friends, family, and anyone who wants to join your pod!