WWF: Whale Superhighway Needs Urgent Protection
WWF and the marine mammal science community is calling for renewed cooperation with the aim of protecting migrating whale populations by mitigating threats and implementing measurable change across the Eastern Pacific Ocean region. WWF and their partners have identified actions for governments, industry, and individuals to safeguard migratory routes in the region by 2030. The […]
Commercial Vessel Restrictions: Southern Right Whales Protected in the US and Canada
Masters and crews who operate along the US/Canadian East Coast must now keep a lookout for North Atlantic Right whales, who live almost exclusively in this region. Transport Canada has recently announced that during the 2023 whale season, vessel traffic measures will be enforced in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from 19 April to 15 […]
Chile established new MPA to protect blue whales
After more than two decades of conservation efforts, the Chilean government approved the establishment of a new marine protected area (MPA) in Patagonia for the safeguarding of an important breeding and feeding areas for blue whales. that will safeguard an important feeding and breeding area for the endangered blue whales. Located south of the island […]
Whale strandings highlight an urgent need for practical solutions
In recent months, along the East Coast of the United States, humpback whales have been experiencing what’s known as an Unusual Mortality Event, with an elevated number of strandings being reported since 2016. While necropsies are still being performed, initial results from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center indicated that at least 2 whales of the recent strandings […]
Highest number of humpback whales recorded in the Salish Sea
The Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest (Canada) is home to one of the most diverse assemblages of marine species in the world. Historically, many species of whales, including blue, sperm, grey and humpback whales used the waters of the Salish Sea. Recently, these magnificent animals are making a comeback from the historical exploitation of […]
Urgent need to effectively manage shipping activities within MPAs
Shipping is one of the main threats faced by marine mammals, specifically in the form of ship strikes, as well as through noise and chemical pollution. The underwater noise created by ships is significant. At normal cruising, propellers produce low frequency noise – which can be as high 190 decibels, much louder than a jet […]
New Research Redefines Habitat-use of North Atlantic Right Whales
With fewer than 350 North Atlantic Right whales remaining, obtaining a better understanding of their movements and habitat use is crucial to the species’ survival. A new study published in the journal of Limnology and Oceanography, examined areas that are critical for breeding, feeding and transiting for the North Atlantic Right Whale population across their […]
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) praises stakeholder cooperation in efforts to protect whales
Shipping has long been identified as one of the major threats to cetaceans, not only through vessel strikes, but also through noise generated by ships, which can disrupt vital behaviours, like feeding, navigation and migration of cetaceans and other marine animals. Significant steps have already been taken by the industry to protect marine mammals, with […]
Chile launches “smart buoys” to protect migrating whales
The Ministry of the Environment of Chile, in partnership with the MERI Foundation, has deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered monitoring buoy in the Gulf of Corcovado (Chile), as part of the Blue BOAT Initiative (Buoy Oceanographic Alert Technology) in an effort to protect whales from ship collision. MERI Foundation The “smart buoys” are equipped […]
Major shipping company shifts lanes to help save Sri Lankan blue whales
The world’s largest shipping and logistics conglomerate, MSC Group, is adjusting its shipping route south of Sri Lanka to reduce collision risk with endangered blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) after environmental NGOs OceanCare and IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) approached MSC Group to help protect these whales. The decision means that transiting MSC container ships […]
