whale Archives - Maritime Shipping News

Thousands Of Whales Are Killed by Ship Strikes Each Year

10 April 2023

Credit: pagie-page-unsplash

Large numbers of cetaceans are dying from lethal collisions with vessels, even in protected areas. Now science may provide the means to protect them, reports The Guardian.

Accident

A collision with a vessel is one of the main threats to whales and if the whale does not die on impact, it is usually only a question of time. In Moon’s case, Wray knows she made the 3,000 mile migration to Hawaii. “We’re actually hoping that she has passed,” says Wray. She has not been seen...

https://mfame.guru/thousands-of-whales-are-killed-by-ship-strikes-each-year/

IFAW statement on slowing down ships ignores industry efforts

8 November 2022

^{Pictured: a mother and calf sperm whale off the coast of Mauritius. Photo credit: Gabriel Barathieu via Wikipedia CC BY SA 2.0}

Shipping Australia sent the following text to The DCN in response to an article about the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s call for regulation of vessel speeds.

The ocean shipping industry is keen to operate in a sustainable manner with a minimal burden on communities and eco-systems.

Shipping Australia notes comments made by the IFAW: “Blue speeds: socioeconomic...

https://www.shippingaustralia.com.au/ifaw-statement-on-slowing-down-ships-ignores-industry-efforts/

Are Killer Whales Life Threatening?

24 August 2022

Thereis no record of an orca killing a human in the wild. Still, two boats were reportedly sunk by orcas off the coast of Portugal last month, in the worst such encounter since authorities have tracked them. That is a conundrum. Up to now, scientists have assumed that only a few animals are involved in these encounters and that they are all from the same pod, reports GPB.

Scientists don’t know the reason, but they have some ideas

Scientists hypothesize that orcas like the water pressure produced...

https://mfame.guru/are-killer-whales-life-threatening/

Shipping Companies Win Awards for Whales Protection Strategies

6 October 2020

In a major development, the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program gave awards to 15 global shipping companies for reducing speeds to 10 knots or less in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Santa Barbara Channel region in 2019, says an article published in gCaptain.

What is it?

The voluntary program is an initiative to cut air pollution and protect endangered whales. The 2019 program ran from May 15, 2019, through November 15, 2019. Although COVID-19 public health guidelines prevented an...

https://mfame.guru/shipping-companies-win-awards-for-whales-protection-strategies/

Underwater Whale Traffic Monitoring Technology To Prevent Ship Strikes

21 February 2020

Gray whale necropsy in Tiburon, California.

Recent whale killing incidents after ship collision have prompted scientists to look for a way to detect whales much before ships make a contact with them, writes marine biologist Liz Allen in an article published in Forbes.

Here’s how it can be possible.

Listening To Whale Traffic

Scientists from the Benioff Ocean Initiative and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have deployed a a hydrophone, or underwater microphone, to listen for whale traffic in the Santa Barbara Channel. They hope to use...

http://mfame.guru/underwater-whale-traffic-monitoring-technology-to-prevent-ship-strikes/

Biologists Say, Tests Can Reveal if Ship Strike Killed Whale!

7 February 2020

Marine traffic is increasing worldwide, and where ships and whales overlap, collisions between the two are inevitable, writes Frank Swain for an article published in Hakai Magazine.

Where is the problem acute?

The problem is particularly acute in the Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa, an area that teems with both whales and large ships.

Marina Arregui, a biologist at Spain’s University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria said, “There are many high-speed ferries in the Canary Islands,...

http://mfame.guru/biologists-say-tests-can-reveal-if-ship-strike-killed-whale/

Gulf Craft delivers whale watch vessel to Massachusetts

11 May 2019

Dolphin XI will be able to haul up to 360 passengers into the Atlantic Ocean to get up close with the sea’s natural inhabitants. Gulf Craft photo

Gulf Craft LLC, Franklin, La., has delivered a new 114’x25’x9.5′, Tier 4 whale watch vessel to Dolphin Fleet, Provincetown, Mass. Designed by the shipyard, the new aluminum vessel, Dolphin XI, will be able to haul up to 360 passengers into the Atlantic Ocean to get up close with the sea’s natural inhabitants.

The boat has a 5′ draft and is powered by three Caterpillar C32 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines connected to Michigan Wheel 43″x47″ propellers through Twin Disc MGX-6650 SC marine gears. The...

https://www.workboat.com/news/shipbuilding/gulf-craft-delivers-whale-watch-vessel-massachusetts/