North Atlantic Right Whale Population Trends Worries Scientists: Lowest Since 2010
For more than 40 years, a group of researchers in New England (US) have been monitoring the population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, by photographing them and tracking their movements throughout their extensive range. The whales migrate from their feeding grounds off the north-eastern coast of the US and Canada, to the […]
Iceland Suspends Fin Whale Hunting
Reykjavik, Iceland – On the 20th June 2023 in a landmark decision, Icelandic Fisheries Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir announces that the country will suspend fin whale hunting until the end of August 2023. This decision comes after a thorough examination by experts from Iceland’s Animal Welfare Board, who concluded that the hunting methods employed by whalers […]
Shipping Company Saving Endangered Sperm Whales
One of the largest shipping companies in Europe, DFDS, will alter their routes and slow down to reduce the risk of collisions with endangered sperm whales in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The planned changes should halve the risk of DFDS ships colliding with sperm whales in the areas west of the Peloponnese. The Danish-based company […]
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 […]
