Whales are facing mortality in the waters of British Columbia due to various reasons such as collisions with vessels and disruptions in their food search caused by ship noise.
In a recent incident captured on video in May, a Sea-Doo struck a grey whale near Vancouver, leaving witnesses shocked. Last October, a humpback whale was hit by a whale-watching boat, and shortly after, a dead whale surfaced in the same area. Another humpback was struck by a B.C. Ferries vessel a month earlier, leading to the discovery of a dead whale the following day.
This disturbing trend is on the rise and may escalate due to increased ferry traffic and Canada’s efforts to boost goods transportation to Asia through these waters.
To address this issue, two British Columbia organizations are taking action. One of them is HALLO, a pilot project from Simon Fraser University, known as Humans and Algorithms Listening for Orcas. The project focuses on reducing ship noise to facilitate the endangered southern resident killer whales in locating food.
Lauren Laturnus, a biology master’s student at SFU involved in the project, emphasized the importance of protecting these whales as a vital part of the ecosystem. She uses surveying equipment to monitor whale movements in the Salish Sea and tracks vessel traffic in the region.
When Laturnus spots whales, she reports to the Ocean Wise Whale Alert System, which notifies commercial mariners in real-time to adjust their speed or route. Additionally, approximately 100 volunteer citizen scientists have been trained to monitor whale movements around Saturna, Pender, and Mayne Islands, contributing valuable data to the Whale Alert System.
The goal of HALLO is to create a safe environment for southern resident killer whales to feed without disturbance from ship noise. These whales heavily rely on sound to navigate their surroundings, and vessel noise disrupts this process.
Southern resident orcas are critically endangered marine mammals in Canada, with only about 74 remaining in British Columbia waters, excluding a new calf. Their primary food source, chinook salmon, is declining, mainly found in the Salish Sea, a heavily trafficked shipping route in North America.
Additionally, HALLO has teamed up with the W̱SÁNEĆ Marine Guardians, an Indigenous-led initiative in the Salish Sea, to restore the sacred relationship between First Nations people and whales for their survival and ecosystem protection.
Biologist Rachel Fairfield Checko analyzes underwater hydrophone recordings to identify whale species, combining this data with Indigenous knowledge to advocate for enhanced whale protections to the federal government.
Efforts are being made to extend protections for humpback whales, as vessel strikes globally claim an estimated 20,000 whales annually, affecting species like humpbacks, grey whales, blue whales, and fin whales the most. Andrew Trites, from the UBC Marine Mammal Research Unit, highlighted the need for increased protections for humpback whales due to their inability to coexist with vessels compared to other marine species.
Glenn Jones, the founder of Reach Technologies Inc., has developed optical technology to detect objects penetrating the water’s surface, including whales, to prevent collisions with vessels. The technology aims to provide early detection of whales for large vessels to slow down or change course, promoting safer coexistence between ships and marine life.
Jones hopes to integrate this technology into commercial vessels and ferries to swiftly identify whales and avoid collisions. Ultimately, the goal is to identify high-traffic routes to ensure vessels steer clear of whale habitats to uphold mutual respect and safety.
These collective efforts aim to safeguard marine life in the busy waters of British Columbia and protect endangered whale species from further harm due to human activities.
(Source: CBC)
