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Marine Protection

The blue planet

Seas are the waters of the Earth surrounding the continents and all are connected to each other. As opposed to the seas, lakes and rivers on land are called inland waters. Three quarters of waters and seas cover the Earth’s surface, and only barely a quarter is actually dry land. In that sense, our planet should rather be called Ocean!

This would be apt, as it is exactly the oceans that set the Earth apart from other planets in the solar system. Seen from outer space, we live on a blue planet. 97 percent (1370 million cubic kilometers) of the Earth’s waters are contained in the oceans, and only about 2 % is in the ice sheet of Greenland and Antarctica. The small remaining percentage includes lakes and rivers, and also the water content of the atmosphere.

The seas are the cradle of life

The oceans not only dwarf continents in size, but also in terms of highest and lowest points. The deepest precipice on land is the Grand Canyon (USA) with only 1,800 meters (1.1 miles), but in comparison with oceanic trenches, this is almost nothing.

The deepest point in our oceans is at 11,034 meters (6.86 miles) below sea level, in the Vityaz Trench, which is a part of the Mariana Trench (located East of the Philippines).

Even the biggest mountains on Earth, a mid-ocean ridge of a length of 60,000 km (approx. 37,300 miles) and a width of up to 4,000 m (approx. 2,500 miles) and stretching though all the three oceans, is actually not on land, but underwater. We should always remember that the seas are the cradle of life. It was there in the seas that from the simplest forms, life evolved, and stayed under water for the first three billion years.

Only about 400 millions of years ago did the first plants and animals conquered dry land. We are also reminded of the marine origins of humans by the gill arches and gill slits that human embryos possess for a short time in their development. Human foetuses grow in the amniotic sac, in a sac of membrane filled with liquid.

It was in the sea that the first molecules of oxygen were produced (as a side-product of photosynthesis), which made life on land possible in the first place and still provide the vital foundation for life on land. The oxygen production of marine plants lead to the creation of the ozone layer in the stratosphere (at an altitude of 15 to 50 km or 9 to 31 miles), which filters the ultraviolet radiation of the sun, and makes life possible on land.

Nobody knows exactly how many species there are living in our oceans, but it is estimated that the number may be as high as 10 million or more. Only 300,000 of these are scientifically described as we speak.

The Atlantic around Madeira

The Madeira archipelago is located in the middle of the blue Atlantic Ocean and, from almost everywhere on the island, we have a view onto the sea. There, out in the big blue, the foundation of all life on our planet originated through the production of oxygen. The oceans are, therefore, the cradle of all life on Earth. This alone should be reason enough for us to be more respectful of our oceans and eager to protect them and their inhabitants. For this same reason we have gathered some online petitions that stand up for the protection of cetaceans, the ocean and all its marine life. 

Take action by clicking below…

Some important messages…

Below is a video message from activist Ric O’Barry as well as a few simple but important words from behavioural scientist, Dr. Jane Goodall, speaking out for dolphins and, finally, a sequence of videos displaying the cruel reality behind the captivity of cetaceans.

– Ric O’Barry –

Ric O’Barry and Ken Balcomb talk about Lolita the Orca…

– Jane Goodall –

Dame Dr. Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace was in Singapore, where she recorded a vídeo clip for ACRES to share her concerns about the plight of captive dolphins!

– The true story behind the dolphinaria and orcanaria –

Wild cetaceans being captured to perform like clowns for audiences.

TAKE ACTION

Last but not least, here is a collection of petitions that are very close to our hearts so that YOU too can take action! Please sign and join us in the fight to protect our oceans!

PREVENT THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DOLPHINARIUM IN MADEIRA
Avaaz

STOP DOLPHIN CAPTIVITY 
Avaaz

STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF PILOT WHALES
IN THE FAROE ISLANDS
Avaaz

SAVE JAPAN’S DOLPHINS IN TAIJI Petition

STOP SEA WORLD & CO
Change.org . peta.org

FISH-FARM IN PONTA DO SOL – NO, THANKS!
Petição Publica 

SAY NO TO DEEP-SEA MINING IN MADEIRA
Petição Pública

SAVE DOLPHINS DYING IN SUPER TRAWLERS – Petição Publica

STOP THE DOLPHIN HUNTS ON THE COAST OF PERU
Avaaz

STOP THE LIVE CAPTURE OF MARINE SPECIES
Avaaz

HELP SECURE THE 2 LARGEST OCEAN SANCTUARIES
IN THE WORLD –ANTARCTICA
Greenpeace

PETITION AGAINST WHALING
Avaaz . Meet us, don’t eat us . Avaaz . Sea Legacy

PETITION TO SAVE THE VAQUITAS
 Avaaz

ACT FOR ANTARCTICA
 Greenpeace

… & to be updated

...& BE UPDATED

SEA SHEPHERD
Support the famous and engaged Sea Shepherd team in their uncompromised fight for whales, seals, sharks, dolphins and the protection of the seas.

DEEPWAVE
Interesting news and information from the world of open and
deep-sea conservation

WDC
The former WDCS changed its name to WDC: The international Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) and acts as one of most active non-profit organisations worldwide, working exclusively for the protection of whales and dolphins and their habitat.

WORLD CETACEAN ALLIANCE (WCA)

In September 2020 Lobosonda became an official WCA partner after signing up for their Responsible Whale Watching Certification programme and became the first company in Madeira to receive the Responsible Whale Watching certificate.The WCA’s Responsible Whale Watching Certification Programme is the only global certification for whale and dolphin watching tourism. It represents the international standard for responsible whale watching, developed by the industry, for the industry.

The World Cetacean Alliance is the world’s largest network of experts on whale and dolphin watching. Our partners include whale watch tour operators, NGOs, scientists, and educators, all focused on respectful, responsible and sustainable whale watching tourism. Certification is based on the WCA’s Global Guidelines for Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching, overseen by an international panel with specialist knowledge.

Customers of WCA certified responsible whale and dolphin watching tours can be confident they are travelling with the very best whale and dolphin watching experiences in the world! Not only do these tours operate with the utmost care for local wildlife, sustainability, and the customer experience, they also donate essential funds to whale and dolphin conservation and community awareness projects run locally and internationally through the WCA.

Together we have the potential to reinvest millions of tourist dollars to protect our oceans. Why would you travel with anybody else?

Find out more at www.worldcetaceanalliance.org