A new organization at New Mexico State University is ready to help out an environment that is widely different from the one students are accustomed to here in Las Cruces.

Whale Den, a student association that was chartered last fall, has been recruiting members for the past year in an effort to bring awareness to whales and their environments.

Whales face more threats, harsher conditions, and challenges today than ever before, as an offset of global warming and illegal hunting, among other detriments. Whale Den is taking strides to help fix this problem.

“Even though we are in a dry state that isn’t close to any bigger organizations related to our cause, we can still make a difference,” said Alexis Tiefa, a member of the club.

The goal of the organization is to not only educate, but bring awareness to NMSU students, and the surrounding Borderland, about whales, their environments, and the oceans around the world.

“The ocean life affects all of us, so to bring awareness for it in a place like Las Cruces, where people don’t know a lot about it, is a great feeling,” Tiefa said.

The group is passionate about raising awareness for this cause because of how important whales are to our environment and how they are an essential part of the ocean ecosystem.

These animals also help the economy, which is another important reason why people should cherish them.

Additionally, from a tourism standpoint, boosts local economies, and helps businesses. This is a result from the growing trend of “whale watching”, which is essentially being taken out in the open ocean and observing these animals in their natural habitat.

The International Whale Commission (IWC) reported an estimated $2 billion worth of revenue from the whale watching business just two years ago. 13,000 jobs were created as a result of this, with 7,000 being generated domestically.

The group at NMSU only has around 18 members, but say that growing the organization is a key to helping to educate more people.

“We are passionate students that want people to know about all the marine life around the world, we may be a new club buy our hearts for it are big,” said Tiefa.

For more information on the organization, Whale Den, and to serve apart of the whale right activism group, call (575)-646-4251 or email [email protected].