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Whale of a Holiday

Here’s your gift guide to finding the perfect gift for the ocean lover in your life.

By Jenna DeedyPublished 2 years ago 7 min read
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Whale of a Holiday
Photo by Iewek Gnos on Unsplash

The following article contains links to shops for which I might receive a commission upon purchase.

The holidays are here and it’s that time of year when everyone is sincere, people are bundled up to battle the bitter cold temperatures, drinking down that hot chocolate, watching Christmas movies, singing carols, and of course watching anything that has to do with StarWars.

It’s also that time of year when the focus is a lot more than getting the decorations ready in time for Christmas, but it’s also a time for you guessed it right, finding that perfect gift for the folks in your life.

If you know someone who’s into marine wildlife, I got a few gift suggestions that you might want to take into consideration. Some might empower them to take action to preserve the shrinking habitats of their favorite animal species, and some might give them a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet certain animals up-close in person.

4Ocean’s Bracelet Collection

4Ocean’s signature bracelets all help pull a single pound of trash from oceans, rivers, lakes, and coastlines worldwide. Each of these beautiful bracelets was made from recycled plastic waste that was later converted into cords, clear beads, and charms that help give the bracelets their signature looks.

You can also get them in a limited edition boxed set which features 12 limited edition bracelets that were released this past year.

They range from January’s stingray to December’s manatee bracelet.

They also contain cards and booklets that contain detailed information about the species in question, the cause, and the partner of the month.

You can order your own bracelet from 4Ocean through their website

Fahlo’s Wildlife Collection Lets Animal Lovers Track Sharks, Sea Turtles, Polar Bears, or Elephants.

Yes, this bracelet helps track animals out in the wild.

Fahlo’s Wildlife Collection bracelets come with a shark, turtle, polar bear, or elephant that the animal lover in your life can track year long. Each bracelet comes with a story of an animal they’re tracking.

They can learn about their animal’s name, gender, size, and story. From there, they can follow their incredible journeys on exclusive tracking maps.

A portion of all proceeds are donated to Sea Turtle Conservancy, Polar Bears International, Saving the Blue, and Save the Elephants, non-profits that work to protect wildlife and the habitats they depend on for survival.

You can purchase your own here using JENNACOSTADEEDY20 to save 20 percent off.

Shelly Cove’s Sea Turtle Collection Lets You Track a Rescued Sea Turtle

Whenever you buy any of Shelly Cove’s eco-friendly sea turtle-themed products, not only do the funds go to provide financial support for sea turtle hospitals but also, you get to track your very own rescued turtle.

For example, for my 30th Birthday, I “adopted” a rescued Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle named Lennie, who was rescued off the coast of North Carolina in 2006 and has since become a full-time resident at the rehabilitation facility that rehabilitated her.

Her adoption, as you can call it, came with a gift box that contained many eco-friendly products, which includes a shirt, metal straws, and some bracelets.

You can purchase any gift set from Shelly Cove’s website.

Leilani Shells Lets You Adopt a Baby Coral and Save Coral Reefs

For just $31, you can adopt a baby coral for that special someone by making them a “certified” grower of a coral reef.

Your purchase actually helps small coral fragments get collected from the sea to be grown in a nursery for restoration. These nurseries help coral fragments grow above the ground and protect them from breaking apart. The plan is to restore a coral reef system in the South Pacific by planting over 5,000 corals hoping to restore critical habitats for sea turtles, dolphins, and other marine animals.

Visit Leilani Shells’ website to learn more about how to adopt a coral and get started in a reef restoration project.

Promo code: jennadeedy.

Adopt An Orca Through Whale Museum or the BC Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program

Samish (J-14), an orca matriarch I adopted through the Whale Museum's Orca Adoption Program in 2010.

Samish's story from 2010.

When I was in high school, I adopted a couple of killer whales through the Whale Museum’s Orca Adoption Program. One was an L-pod orca by the name of Moonlight or “L83”, and the other was a killer whale matriarch by the name of Samish, or “J14”.

Adopting both whales has helped me gain a better understanding of wild killer whale populations in the Pacific Northwest by learning about their history, the pods they were born into, and the threats they and their families continue to face out at sea.

If you decide to adopt a whale with Whale Museum for $35, you get a certificate of adoption with a 3 x 5 of your adopted whale along with their biography, genealogy chart, and a 16-page booklet about the Southern Resident orcas. In addition, you also get monthly orca updates through email, a subscription to the Cetus newsletter, an “Orca Steward” patch, a bumper sticker, and free admission to the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Washington.

If you want to give the whale lover in your life a gift involving the Northern Resident orcas of British Columbia and Southern Alaska, then the BC Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program is right up your alley. For as little as $8 a month, you can give that special someone on your list a symbolic certificate of adoption of their whale, updates on killer whale conservation efforts in British Columbia, and an Ocean Wise monthly newsletter.

No matter what you choose, one thing is for certain: you’re giving that special someone the gift of orca stewardship through symbolically adopting a wild orca in their name.

Shelby Reef Has All things Sharks For the Shark Lover In Your Life

While this shirt is for ambassadors, Shelby Reef has a beautiful tie-dye collection to check out.

For all those shark lovers in your life, Shelby Reef has an amazing collection of clothing, accessories, jewelry, and hats that all benefit WildlifeVOICE, a non-profit that works to protect endangered shark populations and their ocean habitats.

Some of their eco-friendly products include their signature shirts, their beautiful tie dye line, hand-stamped bracelets, and some vegan-based bath bombs.

Use JENNA10 to save 10 percent upon purchase.

Give that Special Someone the Gift of Knowledge With Selective Books on Some of Their Favorite Marine Species

Books make great gifts for anyone who loves to read.

As someone who grew up working alongside zookeepers and animal trainers as a SeaWorld camper, I can confess that there’s no greater gift in this world than the gift of knowledge about the animals we share this planet with.

Books like Dolphin Mysteries, and The Secret Language of Animals share research that’s been done on animals in both wild and in zoological settings while Lads before the Wind, and Don’t Shoot the Dog can provide some insight on what it’s like to work with animals, train, and care for them in modern facilities.

If you’re looking for a story that can empower your love for animals or your career goals that involve working with animals, then books like I Still Believe, and The Odyssey of KP2 can help give you that little inspiration that special someone is looking for.

These books and more can all be found on Amazon’s website.

Give Them An Animal Encounter And Support Your Local Zoo Or Aquarium

Meeting Naku during a "Trainer for a Morning" Program at Mystic Aquarium in 2011. Animal Encounters at modern, well-managed facilities make great gifts.

Still not sure what else to get the animal lover in your life but really want to give them a holiday to remember? Then, how about bringing them to a zoo or aquarium that offers animal encounters?

Many zoos and aquariums offer animal encounters with select species that nor not only educational but are also memorable at the same time.

For example, Mystic Aquarium offers animal encounters with their penguins and marine mammals through their “Trainer for a Day” program and all three SeaWorld parks offer various behind-the-scenes programs at all three of their parks. Some of them let you even do a one-on-one encounter with one of their animals.

Depending on the facility, some encounters may, or may not allow hands-on contact with their animals but what they all have in common is they start out with a small presentation on the species guests will meet, how to protect them in the wild, and how they are cared for in zoological settings.

Be sure to look up prices and dates before booking an encounter and some encounters might not be happening, because of COVID restrictions.

These encounters help support your local zoo or aquarium, which includes animal care and conservation efforts they’re taking part in. Oh, don’t forget to buy that someone an adorable stuffed animal (along with some other goodies) from the online gift shop to top it all off.

I hope this gift guide will help you find what you’re looking to give to the animal lover in your life. May you have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday.

wild animals
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About the Creator

Jenna Deedy

Zoo and Aquarium Professional, Educator, Cosplayer, Writer and B.A. in Psychology whose got a lot to share when it comes to animals, zoos, aquariums, conservation, and more.

Instagram: @jennacostadeedy

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