A fantastic blog about our week's adventures searching for orca in Scotland from our colleague Rob Lott at Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Have a look at the puffin photo from our campaign manager Sam.

Read here: http://uk.whales.org/blog/2015/05/orca-watch-in-scotland

It is no longer legal to breed or buy an orca in Ontario, Canada. This is leading legislation in the move away from orca captivity. However, for lone orca Kiska, who is held at Marineland Canada, this decision will result in her continued confinement in solitary conditions, without other orca, while she remains in captivity at this facility.

Read more: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2015/05/28/breaking-marine-mammal-bill-passes

Footage of orca in Tokyo Bay, Japan: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/27/national/killer-whales-spotted-tokyo-bay/#.VWWMOk_BzRZ

For those of you in the UK, orca footage from Scottish coastal waters has been used in episode 2 of Springwatch - now available to watch on BBC iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xcng2

Up to 10 orca were sighted today off the coast of Caithness, Scotland and I was fortunate enough to watch several of them as they travelled by Duncansby Head. I am incredibly pleased as this is the first time I have seen orca in my home waters in the UK. - Sam Lipman, Orca Aware Campaign Manager.

"A Coromandel man's Monday morning paddle turned into a close encounter with a curious giant of the deep ­– and he caught it all on camera."

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/paddle-boarders-close-encounter-with-curious-orca-2015051915#ixzz3gzhWmNOM

A new study shows that captive orca do not live as long as their wild counterparts. This magazine article explores these findings, with comment from a wild orca researcher, one of the study's authors and a SeaWorld spokesperson.

Read more: http://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/tanked-killer-whales-captivity

NOAA Fisheries are drawing attention to eight species/populations listed under the USA's Endangered Species Act that are most at risk of extinction. The Southern resident orca population are one of the eight in the spotlight.

Learn more about the 'Species in the Spotlight' initiative: http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2015/05/05_14_15species_in_the_spotlight.html

Will you be visiting Caithness, Scotland for Orca Week this May? Come and attend the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) ORCA EVENING on Monday 25th at Caithness Horizons in Thurso, starting at 630pm. You will hear a fantastic talk about orca presented by WDC's Rob Lott and afterward Orca Aware's Sam Lipman will be answering any questions you have about orca. See you there!