Western Pacific grey whales are perhaps the most endangered whale in the world. There are only two or three dozen breeding females left, and the only place they feed (that we know of) is in the Piltun Lagoon off Russia’s Sakhalin Island. Unfortunately, this region is extremely  rich in oil, and oil platforms and pipelines threaten to encroach on the whale’s feeding ground. When Shell’s Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC) threatened to build a new oil pipeline straight through the lagoon, we protested. We won.

Learn more about our whale research and conservation partners in Russia.

The lagoon

Piltun Lagoon may be the last chance for the Western Pacific grey whale. We don’t know much about these whales, but we believe this may be their only feeding ground. If it is destroyed in a quest for oil, the whales may disappear forever. But whales are not the only inhabitants here. The lagoon supports a thriving population of seals, fishes and seabirds, all attracted to the nutrient rich waters in a search for food.

The threat

Sakhalin Energy Investment Company — a holding of Royal Dutch Shell — proposed to expand their operations by building a new oil pipeline directly through the fragile and essential Piltun Lagoon. The pipeline construction would not only disturb the whales and other creatures, but would also increase the risk for oil spills and associated environmental damage.

The solution

We spoke up. Joined by a coalition of international partners, we pressured Shell and SEIC to relocate their proposed oil pipeline to an area that would be less of a threat to the whales. In the end, after approximately five years of constant campaigning, Shell agreed to move the  pipeline.

Explore additional IFAW whale conservation victories:

Baja waters protected for Eastern gray whales.
Relocation of the Sakhalin oil pipeline protects Western gray whales.
Mandatory reporting for ships.
Acoustic monitoring for North Atlantic right whales.
New whale-safe gear for New England’s lobstermen.