Cape Air has teamed with the International Fund for Animal (IFAW) for a cross-country tour to raise awareness that “Whales Need US” using one of the airline’s Cessna 402 with whales painted on its livery. The Hyannis-based Cape Air and its neighbor IFAW, are protesting continued violations of international treaties curbing the harvesting of whales, especially by Japan.
Enroute to the 2007 International Whaling Commission conference in Anchorage, the whale plane will make stops in Boston, New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago, Des Moines, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Newport, Ore and Vancouver before reaching Anchorage. The team will deliver "save the whale" artwork and messages from American 4th and 5th graders to delegates from more than 70 nations.
Cape Air is donating the use of its Cessna, flown by pilot Ken Johnson, for the unique trip. Last July, IFAW and Cape Air commissioned famed airbrush artist Jurek to paint the plane with humpback whales to show their beauty and to bring whale protection to the public eye.
Thousands of tourists choose Cape Cod as a whale-watching destination each summer, but few realize that whales are still hunted in countries like Japan, Norway and Iceland, said IFAW.
"Unbelievably, Japan plans to kill 50 humpback whales this year like the ones pictured on this plane in addition to more than 1,200 other whales," said IFAW's Patrick Ramage, whose 12-year-old son is accompanying him. “We urge the U.S. government to take commercial whaling seriously and take a leadership role in expressing the strongest possible opposition to commercial whaling and so called 'scientific' whaling."
"Since most of our destinations are surrounded by water we have a unique relationship with the whale population," said Cape Air President Dan Wolf. "Many of our passengers can see the familiar water swirl beneath the plane and enjoy that moment when the whales leap out of the water. It is an unbelievable experience and one we wish to continue for many years to come."
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