Making homes for whales and dolphins

Whales and dolphins need homes in the sea - safe havens where they can feed, rest, play, mate and raise their young. 'Homes for whales and dolphins' is WDCS`s global campaign to create marine protected areas (MPAs) for whales and dolphins.

To create global awareness of the need for homes for whales and dolphins, WDCS launched 'We Sail for the Whale' beginning with Team Russia's participation in the Volvo Ocean Race in October 2008. Setting sail from Alicante, Spain, Team Russia put the 'We Sail for the Whale' message on its mainsail and sailed 12,900 nm (24,000 kilometers) in support of WDCS and the whales, attracting media attention and thousands of petition signatures. In late December, after the race had reached Singapore, Team Russia was forced to withdraw from the race due to the global economic crisis. WDCS is proud to have have been associated with Team Russia and we look forward to future collaborative efforts.

'We Sail for the Whale', meanwhile, has become an international programme involving whale watch operators, sailors and sailing organizations around the world, working together to raise awareness of the need for Homes for Whales and Dolphins. We invite you to join in and support our campaign. Sign our call to create safe homes for whales and dolphins today.

The Volvo Ocean Race and Team Russia

The Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier global yacht race and arguably the most challenging sporting event in the world. Established in 1973 as The Whitbread Round the World Race, the route covers nearly 39,000 nautical miles of the globe's most treacherous seas. The 2008 - 2009 race started in Alicante, Spain. Racing in the ultra high-tech Volvo Open 70, teams have travelled in an easterly direction via stopovers at Cape Town, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Göteborg and Stockholm. The race finishes in St Petersburg at the end of June 2009. Follow the action at www.volvooceanrace.org.

Oleg Zherebtsov, founder of the Russian hypermarket chain Lenta and a passionate sailor, initiated the project for Team Russia to enter the Volvo Ocean Race and to join efforts with WDCS to raise awareness about the need for safe homes for the world's whales and dolphins. Zherebtsov hired skipper Andreas Hanakamp, a two-time Olympic sailor in the Star class who has completed over 100,000 offshore miles and 30,000 offshore racing miles during his sailing career. The crew featured an impressive line-up of former Whitebread and Volvo Ocean Race veterans, an Olympic medal winner and Zherebstov himself.
www.teamrussia.org