“In 2001, I worked with another scientist at the New York Aquarium to see if bottlenose dolphins could recognize themselves in a mirror. The ability to recognize that the face in the mirror is ‘me’ is considered a key measure of self-awareness, and the dolphins passed the test with flying colors.

“But soon after, these two profoundly intelligent and sensitive beings, Presley and Tab, who only had each other, were abruptly separated and transferred to other captive facilities where they would meet untimely deaths. Now I understood the real significance of our study: the two dolphins were not just research subjects; they were victims. And this would lead me to do what I could to retire all captive whales and dolphins to sanctuaries.

“Today, the need for sanctuaries is greater than ever and it is the least we can do together as an act of reparation toward these remarkable beings.”

Quote from the Executive Director – Charles Vinick

“Sitting on the wharf, here at the sanctuary site in Nova Scotia, I’m reminded of the times I spent in Iceland with Keiko, the ‘Free Willy’ whale. We’d brought him back from a marine entertainment park to a temporary sanctuary for him in a bay in Iceland, to prepare him for life in the ocean. He would swim across it and chase birds. And if there was rough weather, you could see and feel how exuberant he was — he seemed to be loving it.

“It’s that same experience that I picture here at the sanctuary we’re creating. We’ll have whales in these waters, and they’ll be able to chase birds across the bay. They’ll be able to play in the water. They’ll have waves and all kinds of weather. And they too will be exuberant. Next year, 2022, is the year we create the sanctuary itself: a home where captive whales can be in nature. As they’re meant to be.”