Uruguayan Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary

Uruguayan Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Coordinates	35°30′S52°30′W / 35.5°S 52.5°W / -35.5; -52.5
Area	125,436 km2 (48,431 sq mi)

The sanctuary encompases the entirety of the Uruguayan Exclusive Economic Zone.

The Uruguayan Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, established in 2013, aims to protect dolphins and whales from hunting, pursuit, aggression or intentional dibsturbance in waters within the Uruguayan government's jurisdiction. The sanctuary encompasses the entire Uruguayan Territorial Waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), extending as far as 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coast and covering a total of 125,436 km² (48,431 sq mi). ^[1]

The following activities are prohibited in the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone, whether carried out by vessels flying a national or foreign flag:

• The pursuit, hunting, fishing, appropriation, or processing of any species of whales and dolphins.
• The transport and landing of live whales and dolphins, except in cases of scientific or sanitary interest, as declared by the competent national authorities.
• The retention, aggression, or intentional disturbance that leads to the death of any species of whales and dolphins. ^[2]

History

In 2002, the Maldonado Bay, next to Punta del Este, was declared a "Whale Sanctuary" thanks to an initiative led by young students, the Maldonado government, the Ministry of Tourism, and OCC (Organization for Cetacean Conservation).

The Southern right whale can be seen from july to october during their annual migration through the sanctuary to the warmer brazilian waters.

In 2008, OCC gathered over seven thousand signatures from Uruguayan, Latin American, and international supporters—including 20 organizations—calling for Uruguay to rejoin the International Whaling Commission (IWC) after 22 years of absence. That same year, Uruguay re-entered the IWC, giving new momentum to the sanctuary initiative.

In 2013, a group of students from School No. 27, representing the departments of Maldonado and Rocha, reignited the project. Alongside OCC, they presented a proposed law to the Environmental Commission of the House of Representatives. On September 8, 2013, the law was passed with unanimous support in Parliament—all 62 votes. ^{[4] [5]}

The campaign was supported by prominent cultural figures, including Eduardo Galeano, Carlos Páez Vilaró, Agó Páez, Mariana Ingold, Julio Víctor González, and Gustavo Cordera. ^[5]

Eduardo Galeano, an Uruguayan journalist, wrote a poem called Sanctuary of Life for the OCC and for the creation of the sanctuary:

If sharks made movies, who would be the villains?
How would the novel of Moby Dick have been, if the white whale had written it?
What do the sea and its creatures think of us?
If the sea could speak, what would it say?
Perhaps it would say: "I don't want to be a factory".
And it would say: "I don't want to be a garbage dump".
And it would say: "I don't want to be a cemetery".
From the sea came life, when life began to live,
and the sea wants to remain the untouchable Sanctuary of life.

— Eduardo Galeano, Sanctuary of Life

See also

• Australian Whale Sanctuary
• Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary
• Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary

References

1. "The Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary of Uruguay Declared a Hope Spot in Support of Cetacean Conservation". Gaia Foundation. 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
2. "Ley N° 19128 - Declaracion al mar territorial y a la zona economica de la Republica "santuario de ballenas y delfines"" [Law No. 19128 - Declaration of Territorial Sea and Economic Zone of the Republic "Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary"]. IMPO – Centro de Información Oficial (in Spanish). 27 September 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
3. "Ballenas". Fauna Marina Uruguay (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-11.
4. Pingaro, Photo: Rodrigo Garcia (2021-11-16). "Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary of Uruguay Hope Spot". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
5. "Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary". OCC. Retrieved 2025-06-09.