San Juan orca nonprofits receive donation from overseas campaign

By Heather Spaulding • November 10, 2018 1:30 am

After visiting the San Juans and seeing orcas for the first time and learning of their plight, Morgane Trussardi vowed to do everything she could for these endangered animals.

“There is a big movement in France now, to help them,” she said. Trussardi is well-known in France as a globe-trotting YouTuber who also goes by the name “Little Gypsy.” Her videos on the plight of the Southern resident orcas drew so much attention she was able to raise $21,000 in only two days by creating a GoFundMe called “We Are the Orca.”

On Nov. 2, Trussardi and her translator, Lea Camilleri, returned to the states to present both The Whale Museum and The Center for Whale Research with checks for 6,814 Euros, which amounts to $7,752.92 USD. Alexandra Morton, from British Columbia, Canada, was a third recipient from “We Are The Orca.” Morton is a marine biologist who has spent decades working to protect wild salmon and speaking out against fish farms.

During this recent trip to the United States and Canada, Trussardi and Camilleri have been actively trying to raise awareness and advocate for the whales.

“We have visited fish farms, petitioned to stop the pipeline and take down the dams,” said Trussardi. In an effort to raise additional dollars, they also launched a new campaign which sells bracelets with orcas on them.

“Your enthusiasm just touches us,” the center’s Ken Balcomb said as he accepted the donation.

For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/WEARETHEORCA, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/hashtag/wearetheorca?source=feed_text&__tn__=*NK-R.