Skip to content
Vimeo-v Instagram Facebook-f Twitter
Shop
Events
Join Us
Donate
  • Campaigns
    • Save BC Wolves
    • Save BC Bears
    • Bottom Trawling
    • Protect Pacific Herring
    • Marine Protection
    • Fish Farms Out
    • Research & Education
      • Science & Educational Resources
      • From Land to Sea: Great Bear Rainforest Story Map
  • Stories & News
    • All Articles
    • Bears
    • Wolves
    • Wild Salmon
    • Marine Protection
    • Herring
    • Bottom Trawling
    • Open Letters
    • In the News
      • Grizzly Bears In the News
      • Trawl Fisheries In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Conservation & Photography
  • Make A Difference
    • Take Action
    • Shop
      • Shop for Books and Apparel
      • Shop for Wildlife Prints
    • Save BC Wolves Online Community
    • Volunteer
    • Friends of Pacific Wild
    • #WildAuction Fundraisers
      • #WildAuction2023
  • Ways to Give
    • All Ways to Give
    • Leave a Gift in Your Will
    • Donate Stocks or Life Insurance
    • Corporate Giving
    • Donor Advised Funds
    • Foundation Giving
    • Donating by cheque or wire transfer
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Fund our wishlist
    • Donate a Vehicle
    • Donor Support
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Successes
      • Pacific Wild Journals
    • IMAX
      • A Great Big Film
      • IMAX Educator Guide
    • We’re Hiring
  • Campaigns
    • Save BC Wolves
    • Save BC Bears
    • Bottom Trawling
    • Protect Pacific Herring
    • Marine Protection
    • Fish Farms Out
    • Research & Education
      • Science & Educational Resources
      • From Land to Sea: Great Bear Rainforest Story Map
  • Stories & News
    • All Articles
    • Bears
    • Wolves
    • Wild Salmon
    • Marine Protection
    • Herring
    • Bottom Trawling
    • Open Letters
    • In the News
      • Grizzly Bears In the News
      • Trawl Fisheries In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Conservation & Photography
  • Make A Difference
    • Take Action
    • Shop
      • Shop for Books and Apparel
      • Shop for Wildlife Prints
    • Save BC Wolves Online Community
    • Volunteer
    • Friends of Pacific Wild
    • #WildAuction Fundraisers
      • #WildAuction2023
  • Ways to Give
    • All Ways to Give
    • Leave a Gift in Your Will
    • Donate Stocks or Life Insurance
    • Corporate Giving
    • Donor Advised Funds
    • Foundation Giving
    • Donating by cheque or wire transfer
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Fund our wishlist
    • Donate a Vehicle
    • Donor Support
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Successes
      • Pacific Wild Journals
    • IMAX
      • A Great Big Film
      • IMAX Educator Guide
    • We’re Hiring
donate

Category: Open Letters

Open Letters

Joint Letter: Call on the B.C. Government to End the Provincial Wolf Cull

Read More
Herring

Joint Letter: 11 Organizations Call for a Herring Fishery Moratorium

Read More
The seine fleet on the water in the Strait of Georgia in 2019. Photo: Ian McAllister
Herring

Pacific Wild’s Feedback on the 2023/2024 Draft Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Pacific Herring

Read More
Marine Protection

Canada must Sign High Seas Treaty

Read More
Bears

Open Letter: 11 Points on Grizzly Bear Stewardship

Read More
grizzly bear protection in B.C. image of grizzly
Bears

Open Letter: Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework Survey

Read More
Marine Protection

Joint Letter: Support for Coastal Marine Strategy

Read More
Black wolf
Open Letters

B.C. Government Releases Disturbing Wolf Cull Images

Read More
Marine Protected Areas

Joint Feedback from Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations on the British Columbia Coastal Marine Strategy Policy Intentions Paper

Read More
Herring

IFMP Response: Recommendations for 2022/2023 Pacific herring IFMP

Read More
Forests

Open Letter: Maximum Yield Strategies in Nahmint & the Nibble Theory of Old Growth Management Areas

Read More
Open Letters

Open Letter: Troubled Triggers: Correcting the Aim on B.C.’s Wolf Cull

Read More
Open Letters

Joint Letter: Outlaw Wildlife Killing Contests

Read More
Open Letters

Joint Letter: Confront the Climate Emergency

Read More
Open Letters

An Open Reply: Recall of Assault-Style Weapons in the Public Service

Read More
Page1 Page2

Contact Us

Email: info@pacificwild.org

Phone: 250-380-0547

Main Office
1529 Amelia Street, Victoria, BC
Lək̓ʷəŋən Territory
V8W 2K1

Field Office
P.O. Box 26
Denny Island, BC
Haíɫzaqv Territory
V0T 1B0

quick links

1% for the Planet Pacific Wild
Stories & News
Marine Protection Microsite
Shop
Media Kit
Donor Portal
Donor Portal (US)
Benevity Matched Payroll Giving

Charity Navigator Rating

Instagram

🔬 Research Feature: Lo et al. (2026) on Elemental Exposure and Killer Whale Health

🐋 A new study led by @seadocsociety scientist, Catherine Lo, presents one of the largest datasets to date on elemental concentrations in killer whales. Using liver and kidney samples from 35 whales stranded between 1997 and 2022, Lo et al. measured 20 essential and non-essential elements, including mercury, lead and selenium, and examined how concentrations were associated with life stage, sex, ecotype and population.

🌊 As long-lived apex predators, killer whales can offer important insights into what moves through and accumulates in marine food webs. The study found that concentrations of some elements differed with age and ecology. Older whales generally carried higher concentrations of mercury and cadmium than calves, while Resident and Transient (Bigg’s) killer whales differed in concentrations of several essential elements.

⚠️ The findings do not show that these concentrations caused illness. No microscopic lesions consistent with elevated element concentrations were found in the whales examined, but the study could not rule out subtler reproductive, immune or other subclinical effects.

📊 This research provides an important baseline for future monitoring and threat assessment, helping build a clearer picture of how environmental exposure may intersect with killer whale health, including critically endangered Southern Residents.

👉 Swipe through to learn more about what the study found and the questions that remain.

📃 Read the full paper: Lo, C. F., Gaydos, J. K., Poppenga, R., Barre, L., Burek-Huntington, K., Calambokidis, J., Cottrell, P., Duffield, D., Huggins, J. L., Lambourn, D. M., Rice, J., Snyman, H. N., St. Leger, J., Van Daele, M., West, K. L., Gomez, F. M., & Raverty, S. (2026). Concentrations of essential and non-essential elements in eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca). PLOS ONE, 21(7), e0353196. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353196

#KillerWhales #Orcas #SouthernResidentKillerWhales #SRKW #MarineScience

151 5
Open post by pacificwild with ID 18193309180380451
🔬 Research Feature: Lo et al. (2026) on Elemental Exposure and Killer Whale Health

🐋 A new study led by @seadocsociety scientist, Catherine Lo, presents one of the largest datasets to date on elemental concentrations in killer whales. Using liver and kidney samples from 35 whales stranded between 1997 and 2022, Lo et al. measured 20 essential and non-essential elements, including mercury, lead and selenium, and examined how concentrations were associated with life stage, sex, ecotype and population.

🌊 As long-lived apex predators, killer whales can offer important insights into what moves through and accumulates in marine food webs. The study found that concentrations of some elements differed with age and ecology. Older whales generally carried higher concentrations of mercury and cadmium than calves, while Resident and Transient (Bigg’s) killer whales differed in concentrations of several essential elements.

⚠️ The findings do not show that these concentrations caused illness. No microscopic lesions consistent with elevated element concentrations were found in the whales examined, but the study could not rule out subtler reproductive, immune or other subclinical effects.

📊 This research provides an important baseline for future monitoring and threat assessment, helping build a clearer picture of how environmental exposure may intersect with killer whale health, including critically endangered Southern Residents.

👉 Swipe through to learn more about what the study found and the questions that remain.

📃 Read the full paper: Lo, C. F., Gaydos, J. K., Poppenga, R., Barre, L., Burek-Huntington, K., Calambokidis, J., Cottrell, P., Duffield, D., Huggins, J. L., Lambourn, D. M., Rice, J., Snyman, H. N., St. Leger, J., Van Daele, M., West, K. L., Gomez, F. M., & Raverty, S. (2026). Concentrations of essential and non-essential elements in eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca). PLOS ONE, 21(7), e0353196. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353196 

#KillerWhales #Orcas #SouthernResidentKillerWhales #SRKW #MarineScience

🐺 🐶 In Victoria B.C. this weekend? Come visit our booth at Day of the Dog!
Sunday, August 16, 11:00am - 4:00pm
Dallas Rd. (by Cook Street), Victoria, B.C.
Come chat for a chance to win a free bandana for your pup!
Event details at the link in bio.

64 0
Open post by pacificwild with ID 17885602893458937
🐺 🐶 In Victoria B.C. this weekend? Come visit our booth at Day of the Dog! 
Sunday, August 16, 11:00am - 4:00pm
Dallas Rd. (by Cook Street), Victoria, B.C. 
Come chat for a chance to win a free bandana for your pup!
Event details at the link in bio.

🐋 Today we’re celebrating a remarkable example of community collaboration in the Salish Sea!

Last week, one phone call set an incredible chain of events in motion. After birdwatcher @mattiesmith9 spotted a humpback whale that appeared to be trailing fishing gear, he called our Marine Specialist, who alerted members of the local marine community.

@markmalleson, captain with @princeofwhaleswhalewatching and researcher with @centerforwhaleresearch, reported the suspected entanglement to @fisheriesoceanscan. Less than an hour after the call, Captain @liliwilsonphotography of @eaglewingtours located the whales, a mother and her calf, with the calf entangled in fishing gear. Malleson joined the response to document the entanglement for DFO, while @zelwietro identified the mother as BCX0837, Tempest. Remarkably, this was also the first official documentation of her new calf.

Captain Wilson remained with the pair until @cetus_society arrived to continue monitoring them while DFO’s Marine Mammal Response team made their way to the scene. The calf was tangled in more than 300 feet of rope and a buoy. As the pair moved between Canadian and U.S. waters, the rescue required cross-border coordination with @NOAAFisheriesWestCoast.

💙 Thankfully, the calf was successfully disentangled and is expected to recover. This story began with one person noticing something was wrong and making a call. From there, people contributed their eyes, expertise, vessels, time and knowledge to give this calf the best possible chance. It’s a powerful reminder of what community collaboration can accomplish.

Humpbacks were once driven to near disappearance from much of the B.C. coast by commercial whaling. Their return means we once again have the privilege, and responsibility, of sharing these waters with them. If you see a whale in distress, never attempt to disentangle it yourself. Report it to DFO at 1-800-465-4336 or VHF Channel 16.

🌊 To everyone who helped Tempest and her calf: THANK YOU for showing what community collaboration can accomplish. You can learn more about keeping whales safe by taking @mersociety’s free Whale-Safe Boating Course.

#Humpback #SalishSea #MarineProtection

434 19
Open post by pacificwild with ID 17959864316980275
🐋 Today we’re celebrating a remarkable example of community collaboration in the Salish Sea!

Last week, one phone call set an incredible chain of events in motion. After birdwatcher @mattiesmith9 spotted a humpback whale that appeared to be trailing fishing gear, he called our Marine Specialist, who alerted members of the local marine community.

@markmalleson, captain with @princeofwhaleswhalewatching and researcher with @centerforwhaleresearch, reported the suspected entanglement to @fisheriesoceanscan. Less than an hour after the call, Captain @liliwilsonphotography of @eaglewingtours located the whales, a mother and her calf, with the calf entangled in fishing gear. Malleson joined the response to document the entanglement for DFO, while @zelwietro identified the mother as BCX0837, Tempest. Remarkably, this was also the first official documentation of her new calf.

Captain Wilson remained with the pair until @cetus_society arrived to continue monitoring them while DFO’s Marine Mammal Response team made their way to the scene. The calf was tangled in more than 300 feet of rope and a buoy. As the pair moved between Canadian and U.S. waters, the rescue required cross-border coordination with @NOAAFisheriesWestCoast.

💙 Thankfully, the calf was successfully disentangled and is expected to recover. This story began with one person noticing something was wrong and making a call. From there, people contributed their eyes, expertise, vessels, time and knowledge to give this calf the best possible chance. It’s a powerful reminder of what community collaboration can accomplish.

Humpbacks were once driven to near disappearance from much of the B.C. coast by commercial whaling. Their return means we once again have the privilege, and responsibility, of sharing these waters with them. If you see a whale in distress, never attempt to disentangle it yourself. Report it to DFO at 1-800-465-4336 or VHF Channel 16.

🌊 To everyone who helped Tempest and her calf: THANK YOU for showing what community collaboration can accomplish. You can learn more about keeping whales safe by taking @mersociety’s free Whale-Safe Boating Course.

#Humpback #SalishSea #MarineProtection

It`s Time to Stop Blaming Wolves 🐺

This year alone, B.C. spent $1.55 million to kill 301 wolves in the name of caribou recovery — including nearly $75,000 to shoot a single wolf in the Kootenays. Since the cull began in 2015, more than 2,800 wolves have been killed at a cost of over $13 million.

And we still don`t know if it`s even being done humanely. Photos obtained by Pacific Wild through FOI requests show wolves hit with multiple gunshots to the chest, not the clean, quick kills the government claims. Some wolves are tracked as "Judas wolves" — collared, released, then followed back to their entire pack, wiping out families in one pass. Despite a decade of public pressure, the province has never allowed an independent audit of the program.

Millions of public dollars are spent killing wolves while the root causes of caribou decline remain largely unaddressed. Protecting caribou should not mean sacrificing a keystone species so industrial development can continue. It means protecting and restoring habitat, confronting the cumulative impacts of industry, and securing a future for both wolves and caribou.

We`re seeing real momentum build — public pressure, media scrutiny, and growing calls for an audit are putting this program under a spotlight it has avoided for a decade. We`re not stopping until the cull is ended for good.

📣 Make your voice heard! Tell B.C. to end the wolf cull now. Click the link in our bio to send your letter.

📸 @sychdi

#EndTheWolfCull #ProtectCaribouHabitat #InternationalWolfDay #SaveBCWolves

922 50
Open post by pacificwild with ID 18197338858373373
It's Time to Stop Blaming Wolves 🐺

This year alone, B.C. spent $1.55 million to kill 301 wolves in the name of caribou recovery — including nearly $75,000 to shoot a single wolf in the Kootenays. Since the cull began in 2015, more than 2,800 wolves have been killed at a cost of over $13 million.

And we still don't know if it's even being done humanely. Photos obtained by Pacific Wild through FOI requests show wolves hit with multiple gunshots to the chest, not the clean, quick kills the government claims. Some wolves are tracked as "Judas wolves" — collared, released, then followed back to their entire pack, wiping out families in one pass. Despite a decade of public pressure, the province has never allowed an independent audit of the program.

Millions of public dollars are spent killing wolves while the root causes of caribou decline remain largely unaddressed. Protecting caribou should not mean sacrificing a keystone species so industrial development can continue. It means protecting and restoring habitat, confronting the cumulative impacts of industry, and securing a future for both wolves and caribou.

We're seeing real momentum build — public pressure, media scrutiny, and growing calls for an audit are putting this program under a spotlight it has avoided for a decade. We're not stopping until the cull is ended for good.

📣 Make your voice heard! Tell B.C. to end the wolf cull now. Click the link in our bio to send your letter.

📸 @sychdi

#EndTheWolfCull #ProtectCaribouHabitat #InternationalWolfDay #SaveBCWolves

Reposting this video because we love it so much! ❤️‍🔥
🐺 Happy International Wolf Day.
Visit PacificWild.org or check out the links in our bio to learn more and to take action for wolves.
If you are near Victoria, B.C. join us tonight for our Dog Walk for Wolves (Thursday August 13th), at Beacon Hill Park — and yes, your dog is invited (so is your inner wolf).
Also check out @womenforwolves for into on a sister walk happening tonight in Sacramento!

Wolves and dogs share an ancestor. One gets belly rubs, the other is getting shot at from helicopters because it`s cheaper than fixing habitat loss. This walk is about turning the love we already have for dogs into action for their wild cousins.

📍 Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, B.C., Canada
⏰ 5:30–7:30pm, walk starts at 6:15pm
🎟️ Free — link in bio to register (first 100 get a bandana!)

📍 World Peace Rose Garden, 15th & L Streets, Sacramento, CA, United States
⏰ 7:30–8:30pm
🎟️ Free

See you and your pup tonight! 🐾🐺

#SaveBCWolves #WolfConservation #DogWalkForWolves #DogsForWolves #Wolf #DogsofInstagram #InternationalWolfDay

2381 35
Open post by pacificwild with ID 17948630844035695
Reposting this video because we love it so much! ❤️‍🔥
🐺 Happy International Wolf Day. 
Visit PacificWild.org or check out the links in our bio to learn more and to take action for wolves. 
If you are near Victoria, B.C. join us tonight for our Dog Walk for Wolves (Thursday August 13th), at Beacon Hill Park — and yes, your dog is invited (so is your inner wolf). 
Also check out @womenforwolves for into on a sister walk happening tonight in Sacramento!

Wolves and dogs share an ancestor. One gets belly rubs, the other is getting shot at from helicopters because it's cheaper than fixing habitat loss. This walk is about turning the love we already have for dogs into action for their wild cousins.

📍 Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, B.C., Canada
⏰ 5:30–7:30pm, walk starts at 6:15pm
🎟️ Free — link in bio to register (first 100 get a bandana!)

📍 World Peace Rose Garden, 15th & L Streets, Sacramento, CA, United States
⏰ 7:30–8:30pm
🎟️ Free 

See you and your pup tonight! 🐾🐺

#SaveBCWolves #WolfConservation #DogWalkForWolves #DogsForWolves #Wolf #DogsofInstagram #InternationalWolfDay

Tomorrow`s the day! 🐾
Dog Walk for Wolves is happening tomorrow, Thursday August 13th, at Beacon Hill Park — and yes, your dog is invited (so is your inner wolf).
Here`s the lineup:
🐕 A walk from Beacon Hill Park to the Legislative fountain
🎤 Emcee @eddi.licious & surprise guest speakers
📸 A photo booth for you and your favorite good boy/girl #DogWalkForWolves
🐺 A howling contest (bring your best wolf voice)
🎭 A wolf look-alike contest — dress your dog up if you dare
✍️ Sign-making, because your dog has opinions about wolf conservation too

Wolves and dogs share an ancestor. One gets belly rubs, the other is getting shot at from helicopters because it`s cheaper than fixing habitat loss. This walk is about turning the love we already have for dogs into action for their wild cousins.

📍 Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria
⏰ 5:30–7:30pm, walk starts at 6:15pm
🎟️ Free — link in bio to register (first 100 get a bandana!)

See you and your pup tomorrow 🐾🐺

#SaveBCWolves #WolfConservation #DogWalkForWolves #DogsForWolves #Wolf #DogsofInstagram

@eddi.licious @takayalonewolf @candacedyar

462 8
Open post by pacificwild with ID 18045437876655950
Tomorrow's the day! 🐾
Dog Walk for Wolves is happening tomorrow, Thursday August 13th, at Beacon Hill Park — and yes, your dog is invited (so is your inner wolf).
Here's the lineup:
 🐕 A walk from Beacon Hill Park to the Legislative fountain
🎤 Emcee @eddi.licious & surprise guest speakers
 📸 A photo booth for you and your favorite good boy/girl #DogWalkForWolves 
 🐺 A howling contest (bring your best wolf voice)
 🎭 A wolf look-alike contest — dress your dog up if you dare
 ✍️ Sign-making, because your dog has opinions about wolf conservation too

Wolves and dogs share an ancestor. One gets belly rubs, the other is getting shot at from helicopters because it's cheaper than fixing habitat loss. This walk is about turning the love we already have for dogs into action for their wild cousins.

📍 Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria
 ⏰ 5:30–7:30pm, walk starts at 6:15pm
 🎟️ Free — link in bio to register (first 100 get a bandana!)

See you and your pup tomorrow 🐾🐺

#SaveBCWolves #WolfConservation #DogWalkForWolves #DogsForWolves #Wolf #DogsofInstagram 

@eddi.licious @takayalonewolf @candacedyar

© 2026 PACIFIC WILD  •  All Photography © Ian McAllister unless otherwise noted. Managed by Mastermynde  •  Privacy Policy
•  Terms of Service

  • Donate Now
    ▾
    • Other Ways to Give
  • Campaigns
    ▾
    • Save BC Wolves
    • Fish Farms Out
    • Save BC Bears
    • Protect Pacific Herring
    • Marine Protection
    • Research & Education
      ▾
      • From Land to Sea: Great Bear Rainforest Story Map
      • SEAS Community Initiative
  • Stories & News
    ▾
    • All Articles
    • Wolves
    • Wild Salmon
    • Herring
    • Marine Protection
    • Bottom Trawling
    • Open Letters
    • In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Conservation & Photography
  • Make a Difference
    ▾
    • Take Action
    • Join the Save BC Wolves Online Community
    • Friends of Pacific Wild
    • Volunteer
  • About
    ▾
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Successes
    • Partners
    • We’re Hiring
  • IMAX
    ▾
    • A Great Big Film
    • IMAX Educator Guide
  • Shop
    ▾
    • Shop for Books & Apparel
    • Shop for Prints
  • Call 1-250-380-0547
[dynamic-sidebar id="Default Sidebar"]
  • Donate Now
    ▾
    • Other Ways to Give
  • Campaigns
    ▾
    • Save BC Wolves
    • Fish Farms Out
    • Save BC Bears
    • Protect Pacific Herring
    • Marine Protection
    • Research & Education
      ▾
      • From Land to Sea: Great Bear Rainforest Story Map
      • SEAS Community Initiative
  • Stories & News
    ▾
    • All Articles
    • Wolves
    • Wild Salmon
    • Herring
    • Marine Protection
    • Bottom Trawling
    • Open Letters
    • In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Conservation & Photography
  • Make a Difference
    ▾
    • Take Action
    • Join the Save BC Wolves Online Community
    • Friends of Pacific Wild
    • Volunteer
  • About
    ▾
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Successes
    • Partners
    • We’re Hiring
  • IMAX
    ▾
    • A Great Big Film
    • IMAX Educator Guide
  • Shop
    ▾
    • Shop for Books & Apparel
    • Shop for Prints
  • Call 1-250-380-0547