World Dolphin Day

World Dolphin Day is held on 12 September each year. It was announced in 2022 by Sea Shepherd UK, Shared Planet and the Stop the Grind Coalition. The date marks the day in 2021 when 1,428 dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands, which the organisers call the largest single kill of whales and dolphins on record.

World Animal Protection notes that dolphins use a unique whistle to identify each other, and that only one half of a dolphin's brain sleeps at a time. Most wild dolphins live 30 to 50 years, and a pod can range from a handful of animals to hundreds.

Dolphins are often killed or injured by commercial fishing gear, and all river dolphin species are now threatened or endangered. Pollution, climate change and habitat loss add to the pressure.

Department of Marine and Coastal Resources figures reported in 2022 count 3,025 whales and dolphins in Thai waters. In Songkhla Lake, a June 2020 survey estimated only 14 Irrawaddy dolphins, down from 50. Thailand's Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning reports that illegal fishing gear caused 60 per cent of their deaths.

To help, share accurate information about dolphins, avoid captive dolphin shows and swim-with-dolphin attractions, support groups that protect dolphins and their habitats, and report stranded dolphins to the local authorities.

From Waste to Wonder at AVALON Artisan Gallery starts with what the sea leaves behind: more than 50,000 tonnes of green mussel shells are discarded in Thailand each year, and we reclaim them as MyraShell and MyraGem. Meet Sea Smile in the Sea Soul collection.