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This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller cuts on its back and head, broken ribs, and bruising. Photo: FWC/Tucker Joenz, NOAA Fisheries permit #18786

Emergency Right Whale Petition Seeks Overdue Protections From Vessel Strikes

This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller...
Icelandic hunting vessels in port

Whaling boat kept in port after more hunt cruelty exposed

Icelandic whale hunting fleet One of the whaling boats involved in the latest hunts in...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
Fin whale shot with two harpoons

Whalers kill just days after Iceland’s hunt suspension is lifted

Whalers in Iceland have claimed their first victims since the lifting (just a few days...

Cruise ship docks with dead whale on bow

A cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers has arrived at an Alaskan port carrying the carcass of a 6m long humpback whale on its bow.

The Grand Princess, a 290 metre ship pulled into Ketchikan with the whale attached to a submerge part of the bow designed to avoid wave-making. It is not known if the whale, believed to be a juvenile, was alive or dead when the ship struck him or her.

A representative from the cruise line said that ship crews have guidelines on how to operate after spotting whales and alter courses and reduce speed to avoid them.

Whales and dolphins are often unable to avoid ships. They may not see the vessel as a threat, particularly in areas of heavier boat traffic where they are used to the noises around them.  In some cases, they may not hear the vessel until it’s too late.  Large ships cause something called a ‘bow null’ effect resulting in the engine noise (at the stern or rear of the vessel) being blocked by the bow.  Therefore, it’s very quiet in front of the vessel and the whale would not even hear the vessel until it has passed.

Many of these collisions go unnoticed meaning that the number of deaths is far higher than figures suggest. Studies in recent years indicate that, for populations in certain areas, up to one third of whales found dead display signs of having died due to a collision with a boat or ship.  Severe injuries may mean that a whale dies as a result many years later, but can also have an impact on the whale’s  social group.

WDC is working with international bodies and on projects to reduce vessel strikes all around the world, including in areas where whales or dolphins are particularly vulnerable. With your support we can continue this good work and prevent more of these needless deaths.

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