Adopt a Baleen Whale– Support Marine Conservation

Since 2016, BDRI researchers have identified and monitored over 200 individual baleen whales in Galician waters. Now, you can symbolically adopt one of these incredible animals, open a window into their ocean world, and discover their lives and personalities.

Looking for a more personal connection? You can even name your adopted dolphin—or dedicate it to a loved one.

 

Why Adopt?

Baleen whales are migratory marine animals that use Galician waters as a feeding ground during summer and fall. This makes them vulnerable to human activities such as fishing and marine traffic. Your adoption supports the scientific study of their behavior and ecology, contributing to the development of effective conservation strategies.

Your symbolic adoption helps fund our ongoing research and educational efforts to protect whales and preserve marine biodiversity. It’s a meaningful and unique gift—for yourself or someone you care about—that makes a real difference for ocean life.

 

Donation Options

Support marine conservation by choosing an adoption level that works for you:

• Basic Adoption – €100
  Symbolically adopt a whale for one year. You’ll receive a personalized digital certificate, a whale biography, and help support vital research and conservation initiatives.

• Naming Adoption – €300
  Choose a name for your whale and have it permanently recorded in our scientific database. Includes a digital certificate and whale biography.

• Exclusive Lifetime Adoption – €1000
  Make a lasting impact by adopting and naming a whale for life. Your whale’s name will be permanently stored in our records. You'll receive a special digital certificate, a detailed whale biography, and exclusive recognition as a Lifetime Guardian.

   

• Make a Difference

  Your symbolic adoption directly supports our research and outreach projects. Join us in protecting dolphins and their marine environment—one adoption at a time.

 

What’s Included in Your Electronic Adoption Kit?

You’ll receive your Electronic Adoption Kit by email—an eco-friendly and convenient way to connect with your adopted whale. The kit includes:

• - Welcome email

• - Personalized digital adoption certificate
• - Biography of your adopted whale

• - Information booklet with a species fact sheet and details about the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI)

 

How to Adopt a Dolphin

Ready to make a difference? Adopting a whale is simple! Just choose one of the special whales listed below and email us at info@thebdri.com with the following details:

- The name of the whale you'd like to adopt

• - Your chosen adoption level: Basic, Naming, or Lifetime

• - The adoption date (to appear on the certificate)
• - The name of the adopter (for the certificate)

• - If choosing Naming or Lifetime, the name you'd like to give your whale

 

What Happens Next?

Your Electronic Adoption Kit will be personally created by BDRI biologists, ensuring that 100% of your donation directly supports our research and conservation work where it’s most needed.

Please allow up to 5 working days to receive your digital kit after we’ve received your donation.

Important: If you don’t hear back from us within 5 working days, please check your spam or junk folder—our emails sometimes end up there.

 

CHOOSE "YOUR WHALE"

Choose from three different species of whales (blue whale, fin whale, or humpback whale) studied by the BDRI with their own unique characteristics and identified by BDRI researchers in Galician waters (NW Spain). The whales available for adoption are recognized individually by their pattern of colouration and natural markings on their dorsal fin and/or flukes.

 

1. 	SPECIES: Blue whale NAME: Chile Mochila (named by Csilla) ID-Code: BM1 Blue whales are the largest mammal known to have ever existed on Earth! BM1 was the first blue whale ever identified in Spanish waters. She is about 25 m long and is found in these extremely rich waters between July and November to feed on large quantities of krill.
   	SPECIES: Blue whale NAME: Calypso (named by Christelle) ID-Code: BM4 BM4 was the forth blue whale identified in Spanish waters. She was photographed for the first time in August 2018. After our first encounter in open ocean waters off the Cies island (Pontevedra, Galicia) in Summer 2018, we spotted her again in September 2019, 2020 and 2021!
   	SPECIES: Blue whale NAME: Shiva (named by Irina) ID-Code: BM2 BM-2 was the second blue whale identified in Spanish waters. She was photographed for the first time in October 2017. After our first encounter in open ocean waters off Cape Corrubedo (Coruña, Galicia) in October 2017, we found out that researchers in the Azores had seen her just two months before! Little is known about the migration patterns and general ecology of blue whales in the North East Atlantic. Your whale adoption will contribute to our efforts in studying these gentle giants.
   	SPECIES: Blue whale NAME: Sunny (named by Parallel Studio) ID-Code: BM6 BM-6 is the sixth blue whale identified in Spanish waters. She was photographed for the first time in fall 2019 off the Galician coast. We have also observed BM6 in 2020 and 2021, always accompanied by toher blue whales!
   	SPECIES: Fin whale NAME: Elowi (named by Patrick) ID-Code: BP1 BP1 is a fin whale, the second largest animal on Earth and can weigh as much as 10 large elephants! Fin whales also have a very unique asymmetric coloration pattern: their left jaw is dark grey/black and their right jaw is white. BP1 is a special whale because scientists think is a hybrid between a fin and a blue whale! Little is known about the hybrids of both species in our oceans. Your whale adoption will contribute to our efforts in studying these gentle giants.
   	SPECIES: Fin whale NAME: no name assigned (you can give a name) ID-Code: BP2 BP2 is a fin whale photographed for the first time in Galician waters in 2017. We identify them by looking at their dorsal fin shapes and nicks and looking at unique coloration patterns. BP2 is special because it is the first fin whale identified with vitiligo (the same skin disorder that the singer Michael Jackson had). Little is known about whales diseases and general ecology of fin whales in the oceans. Your whale adoption will contribute to our efforts in studying these gentle giants.
   	SPECIES: Humpback whale NAME: Thaurr (named by Arthur) ID-Code: MN1 MN1 is the first humpback whale identified by the BDRI in Galician waters in 2017. Humpback whales have small humped dorsal fins and are often identified by the coloration pattern on the ventral side of their flukes. Little is known about the presence of humpback whales in Galician waters. Your whale adoption will contribute to our efforts in studying these gentle giants.
   	SPECIES: Humpback whale NAME: Robi (named by Elisabeth and Valentine) ID-Code: MN2 MN2 is a young humpback whale photographed for the first time in Galician waters in 2018. We identify MN2 by the shape and nicks of her flukes by looking at her unique coloration patterns. MN2 is a very playful whale and graced us with many beautiful moments and many dives showing us her fluke.
   	SPECIES: Humpback whale NAME: Mitch (named by Solal) ID-Code: MN3 MN3 is a humpback whale photographed for the first time in Galician waters in 2019. We identify MN3 by the shape and nicks of her flukes by looking at her unique coloration patterns. MN3 is a very playful whale and graced us with many beautiful moments and many dives showing us her fluke.

 

Your symbolic adoption enables us to carry out research and educational projects that contribute to the knowledge and conservation of whales.

 

Adoptions can be made by bank transfer in Euros with additional bank expenses included to:
Bank name: BANCO SANTANDER
Bank address: Rua Castelao 23 - 36980 - Grove (O) - Pontevedra, SPAIN
Account holder: BDRI
BIC (BANK INDENTIFICATION CODE): BSCHESMMXXX
IBAN: ES30 0049 7826 4225 1000 1303

 

Please indicate a "Donation whale" as a payment reference when initiating a bank transfer (the payment reference is a message to the beneficiary, here the BDRI, about your donation).

 

YOUR ADOPTION REALLY HELPS

All funds we receive through our Adopt a Whale program go solely towards marine research and conservation programs.

Our scientific data are used by the scientists to help manage marine ecosystems and to ensure Galician waters (NW Spain) remain a safe place for whales for many years to come.

By adopting a whale you are making a choice to become a guardian for marine biodiversity and will get to know and follow an individual whale.

 

Make your adoption now and stay tuned to see what we discover about marine megafauna, marine environment, and climate change thanks to your help. Marine research at sea is very expensive and maintainance and fuel for the research vessels are among the main costs of our activities.

 

Thanks for supporting our work!

 

Read here what the press said about our marine research and conservation work...

 

Your donation supports scientific research on marine biodiversity, climate change, marine pollution, and more...

 

There is a lack of studies about the impact of human activities on marine biodiversity, you can help us explore more.

 

 

Learn more about BDRI study area (Galicia, NW Spain)...

Learn more about BDRI research projects...

Read what the press said about BDRI...

Read BDRI scientific publications...