In late January 2021, the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) named Dana Point, California as a Whale Heritage Site, the first such site in the Americas.
The reasons were obvious: As one of the world's top whale-watching destinations, it hosts a variety of whales all year round, including the blue whale. It has more dolphins per square mile than anywhere in the world. Dana Point also has a small non-commercial harbor, community support, and undertaken public outreach and education, advocacy and research efforts.
Focusing on nine of the most commonly found dolphin, whale and porpoise species in UK waters, the strategy has been developed by the Scottish Government, in collaboration with the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Its objective is to ensure the effective management to achieve and maintain the current favourable status of the nine species. It highlights certain pressures where further research or extra management measures may help to improve the conservation of marine mammals.