Dolphins and whales belong to the class of mammals, they are warm-blooded and breathe lightly, give birth to young and feed them with milk, and their external resemblance to fish is explained by the aquatic lifestyle. But for two hundred years, these wonderful mammals were mercilessly destroyed, and their meat was sold. It was only in 1986 that a ban on whale fishing was adopted. On this significant day, the holiday is celebrated - the World Day of Whales and Dolphins.
Every year on July 23 (according to another version - February 19), World Whale and Dolphin Day is celebrated, which was established in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission after two hundred years of destruction of mammals in the oceans and seas of the whole planets. However, Japan left a loophole for itself in the form of allowing the capture of mammals only for scientific purposes. But after the completion of the research, the meat of whales and dolphins ended up in Japanese restaurants. The adopted law is still valid and prohibits hunting for sea animals and trading in their meat.
This holiday is considered a day to protect not only dolphins and whales, but also all other mammals. Every year on this momentous day, various conservation groups hold special actions to protect marine animals. Often, ecologists unite with each other and devote this day to the protection of only one species of mammals, which are threatened with extermination or mortal danger.
For Russia, the World Day of Whales and Dolphins is of particular importance, since a large number of various species of mammals live in the seas of our country, and many of them are endangered. Whales and dolphins have recently been listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, as well as the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
It should be noted that July 23 is by no means the only date to celebrate this significant day. Some countries have decided to establish a national day of whales and dolphins on their own. For example, in America this holiday is traditionally celebrated on June 21 - during the summer solstice. Australia has since 2008 decided to celebrate World Whale and Dolphin Day on the first Saturday in June.
