A mother right whale and her newborn calf, only a few weeks old, breach the surface of the Atlantic Ocean for a fresh breath of air.

Moments later, a mass of noise and steel rolls over them, too fast for them to escape. When the chaos clears, only the mortally wounded mother remains. Her newborn calf’s horrifically wounded body will wash ashore the next day.

She doesn’t know what today’s loss means for endangered North Atlantic right whales like her. All she knows is that she is suddenly, horribly alone.

Someone has to care. Vessel strikes are happening off our coastlines, and our elected officials refuse to stop it – in fact, Congress is trying to put up roadblocks to prevent a slower-speed rule from protecting right whales in times and places they’re most at risk.

If you take the next step and become a Defender of Wildlife today, together we can force them to give a damn. Our mission is to prevent tragedies like these, and we can only succeed with your help.

Our Give A Damn Challenge is underway: We’re asking wildlife's strongest advocates to take on the deadliest threats facing our nation’s wildlife. Join Defenders of Wildlife today by making your life-saving gift!

Vessel strikes are one of the two primary causes of death for endangered right whales. Mothers and calves are most vulnerable.

These collisions, which kill whales by causing bleeding and blunt force trauma, are threatening the very survival of this species. Today, only 340 right whales are left.

But industry groups and others want to block a proposed rule that would slow down vessels in high-risk zones, even if it could save right whales from extinction.

The clock is ticking, and time is running out. Right now, right whales are being killed faster than they’re being born. We may only have one chance to get this right.

Defender, it’s not too late: Join today and help amplify our emergency efforts to stop right whales and other wildlife from being pushed to extinction. Your support could be the reason they’re still here tomorrow! 

If we do nothing, the number of right whales will steadily dwindle as boat strikes and deadly entanglements cut down the last survivors. In the next few years, the last right whale may wash up on shore… and that will be it.

It doesn’t have to be like this. There are people who give a damn about right whales – people like you, and like our team of experts working tirelessly to save them.

We’re all counting on you to help wildlife succeed!

Sincerely,