Dear colleagues, I am writing on behalf of the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA). As part of our efforts to progressively ensure the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins and their environment, we are currently developing an online training course to assist the cruise ship industry and other tour operators to reduce the likelihood of ship strikes and boat disturbance on cetaceans. The project is called “Becoming ‘Whale Aware’: a training course to mitigate the impacts of ship strikes and boat disturbance on cetaceans”. With this course we also aim to raise both industry and general public awareness, resulting in better informed and better trained crews. We’ve started developing the presentations and videos for the course, but we are still lacking photos and (especially) videos that show ship strikes and their effects. We believe that using these forms of media will have maximum impact on our learners and make the subject real for them. We would be grateful to anyone who can help with this project by providing relevant photos and/or videos. They will be used exclusively on this online course and will be duly credited. We are looking for photos and/or video footage of any large whale: - Next to or near a cruise ship (or a large boat). - Ship strike incidents. - Operational maneuvers by a ship avoiding a strike with a whale. - Injured or dead whales caused by ship strikes. - Any other photo/video relating to ship strikes. Please send them to Elizabeth at elizabeth.cuevas@worldcetaceanalliance.org (large files could be sent or linked via googledrive, yousendit or dropbox). We believe that this course will fill essential gaps, improve collaboration and contribute the global effort to reduce ship strike risk, so any input from you would be greatly appreciated. I would be more than happy to answer any questions. Many thanks in advance for your help and happy New Year to all! Sincerely, Elizabeth More about the WCA: The WCA, with headquarters in the UK, represent the world's largest marine conservation partnership working to protect cetaceans and their habitats. The WCA currently has over 100 Partners in 38 countries around the world, including non-profit organisations, commercial tour companies, scientific institutions and individual members of the public. We are the world's leading NGO in responsible whale and dolphin watching tourism, working with companies on the ground, large tour operators, governments and destination management bodies, amongst others. Through cooperation, the WCA aim to conserve and protect cetaceans and their habitats. http://worldcetaceanalliance.org/ -- *Elizabeth Cuevas* Whale Watching Programme Manager *World Cetacean Alliance* Studio 3, Lower Promenade Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1ET, UK. t: +44 (0) 1273 355011 e: elizabeth.cuevas@worldcetaceanalliance.org <sophie.lewis@worldcetaceanalliance.org> *www.worldcetaceanalliance.org <http://www.worldcetaceanalliance.org/>www.whaleheritagesites.org <http://www.whaleheritagesites.org/>* The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is a Partnership of over 100 non-profit organisations, whale and dolphin watching tour operators and individuals in 40 countries worldwide working collaboratively to protect cetaceans and their habitats. World Cetacean Alliance, the Secretariat to the Partnership, is a UK registered Charity no. 1160484. The content of this e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, be aware that forwarding it, copying it, or in any way disclosing its content to any other person, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the author by replying to this e-mail immediately. Please consider the environment before printing this email or it's attachments.