25 years of watching whales and dolphins: ORCA launches latest The State of Cetaceans report

For 25 years, ORCA has been looking out across the waves - not just watching for whales, dolphins and porpoises, but building one of the most important citizen science datasets of its kind.

This year, as ORCA celebrates its 25th anniversary, the launch of the latest The State of Cetaceans report offers a timely reminder of just how impactful that work has become. What began as a simple but ambitious idea - training volunteers to record whales and dolphins from ferries and other vessels - has grown into a global conservation effort, helping to reveal where cetaceans are found, how they use our seas, and what more needs to be done to protect them.

Whales and dolphins spend much of their lives out of sight. Many travel vast distances, crossing national boundaries and moving through some of the busiest waters on Earth. That poses some huge issues in protecting them, but we cannot hope to safeguard what we do not understand - and we cannot understand these animals without people willing to spend time at sea, watching, recording and sharing.

And that is where ORCA’s work comes alive. 

Every survey, every sighting and every hour spent scanning the horizon helps build a clearer picture of life beneath the waves. Over the years, ORCA’s citizen scientists, volunteers, Ocean Conservationists and Marine Mammal Surveyors have helped turn ferries, cruise ships and other vessels into mobile conservation platforms. These routes give ORCA a unique window into the lives of whales, dolphins and porpoises in UK, European and increasingly global waters.

The State of Cetaceans report brings this work together. It is more than a record of sightings. It is a story of changing seas, shifting pressures and the urgent need for evidence-led protection. The report highlights not only the extraordinary diversity of species recorded by ORCA, but also the threats they face - from climate change and underwater noise to pollution, fishing activity and the risk of vessel strike.

That last issue is especially important. Collisions between ships and whales are a serious conservation concern, particularly for large whale species. ORCA’s work with seafarers, ferry operators, cruise lines and other maritime partners is helping to turn science into practical action, supporting safer seas for whales and dolphins while working constructively with the industries that share their habitat.

And at the heart of all this are people. Extraordinary people. 

ORCA’s 25th anniversary is not simply a chance to look back. It is a moment to celebrate the thousands of people who have made this work possible - the volunteers who have braved rough weather, the citizen scientists who have learned to identify a distant fin, the crews and companies who have welcomed us on their decks, and the supporters who believe that the ocean deserves a voice.

As ORCA looks ahead to the next 25 years, that mission is more important than ever. The oceans have never been static, but they are now changing rapidly, and whales and dolphins are telling us something about the health of the wider ocean. The challenge now is to watch, listen - and act.

Sally Hamilton, CEO of ORCA, said:
 “ORCA’s story has always been powered by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. For 25 years, our volunteers, surveyors, supporters and partners have helped us look out across the ocean and build a clearer picture of the whales, dolphins and porpoises who share our seas. The State of Cetaceans 2026 report shows what citizen science can achieve - turning sightings into evidence, and evidence into action. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are not just looking back with pride; we are looking forward with determination.”

ORCA’s work has helped whales to show us where they are. Together, we can make sure they are heard. 

Read the full report and download your copy here.