Launch and Release

And so here we are, WhaleFest 2014 had arrived. The world’s largest festival celebrating whales and dolphins and in its third year WhaleFest is raising funds and awareness for the World Cetacean Alliance and the Long Swim to Freedom campaign. This campaign features the issue of freeing the Orca Morgan from captivity and saving the last 50 Maui’s dolphin – New Zealand’s critically endangered endemic dolphin.

But WhaleFest 2014 was also the launch of Follow Free Morgan, the start of our little Orca Morgan’s adventures around the world celebrating wild whales and dolphins and raising awareness of the work of the World Cetacean Alliance. What better place to launch Follow Free Morgan’s adventures then at WhaleFest!

And what better way to launch WhaleFest 2014 and its support for the Long Swim to Freedom campaign then by releasing an Orca into the sea. Just as we have all been campaigning for and hoping for, not only for Morgan but for all the other Orca’s held in captivity. Of course no matter how we may wish it the logistics of releasing a real Orca into the sea off Brighton may be pushing it but who says it has to be real to make an impact!?

Our little Morgan, and the inflatable life-sized Morgan on Brighton beach

So that’s what the amazing people at WhaleFest did. Through the mist and fog of a cool evening a life sized inflatable Orca, also named Morgan, was lifted over the railings from the promenade onto the pebbles of Brighton beach. Amongst crowds of people, waving plaques with Free Morgan and Save the Whales, wearing Orca and shark costumes, shouting and cheering, Morgan was carried down the beach and into the steely blue waters. There she was delivered to the rescue boats of British Divers Marine Life Rescue (the charity that actually rescues stranded whales and dolphins around the British coast) by non other than world renowned Orca researcher and advocate for Morgan, Dr. Ingrid Visser. To the tumultuous applause of the watching crowd our Morgan was set free.

Morgan is carried to the water

Dr Ingrid Visser leads Morgan to the BDMLR boats

And Follow Free Morgan was there. The buzz was electric, the excitement palpable. Once again one felt part of something big, part of a movement that is ultimately changing the world.

Of course the Orca was brought back to shore but the message was simple. Free Morgan.

And so welcome to the blog of Follow Free Morgan… Check out the gallery below for more photos of our little Morgan at the launch of WhaleFest 2014 and the release of an Orca into the sea at Brighton. 


Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com