This past winter, five reported whale-boat collisions occurred in Hawai’i, four off Maui and one off Kaua'i. Two of the incidents are known to have injured calves. Officials have indicated the five known collisions are the most on record in any single year. While this may seem like an alarming increase in vessel strikes, it’s likely to be indicative of both good, and bad, news.
While it might seem incomprehensible that WDCS would be glad to hear about vessels striking whales, we are heartened to learn that public awareness is increasing and boaters in Hawaii now know to report these tragic incidents. This is, in large part, due to the Hawaiian Humpback Whale Sanctuary’s increased effort in education and outreach to boaters. WDCS applauds the Sanctuary’s development of an ocean user’s handbook, Public Service Announcements, informational signs at key harbors, guidelines which include a suggested reduction in speed, and a reporting hotline. We realize it is impossible to reduce the risk of strikes without fully understanding the depth of the issue.
However, the issue is more complicated than simply an increase in public awareness. It is likely that the risk of striking a whale in Hawaii has also increased. Again, this is both good, and bad, news. The good news is the increase in the Pacific humpback whale population has led to a larger number of mother-calf pairs in the Hawaiian breeding area. Like other humpbacks, this population was hunted to dangerously low levels. However, a moratorium on commercial hunting combined with US protective legislation (the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act) and interest in whale watching has resulted in a substantial recovery for this population.
The bad news is, with the increase in the number of calves (most of whom spend much of their time at the surface), collisions are often unavoidable as vessels attempt to navigate through and within whale habitat. Additionally, the increased popularity of whale watching has resulted in more boats pursuing whales. Combine that with the considerable increase in the numbers and speeds of all vessels in the vicinity of whales over the last decade, and the result is a significant increase in the risk of striking a whale.
WDCS continues to promote responsible whale and dolphin watching as an important education and public awareness-raising tool and as an alternative to the hunting or capture and confinement of these magnificent creatures from the wild. However, we are tremendously concerned with the direct and indirect impacts of vessel activities on whale and dolphin populations. Vessels in the vicinity of whales can be hazardous to them unless vessels are handled thoughtfully. Aside from the dangers of striking a whale, intensive, persistent and unregulated vessel traffic in areas where animals are resting, feeding, breeding, nursing their young, or socializing can disrupt those activities, and therefore have a long-term impact on the populations. While the impacts of a strike are usually readily apparent, monitoring of the effects of disturbance is often lacking. Invasive tourism activities, such as swimming with whales and dolphins may also disturb the animals as well as put swimmers at risk. And, more directly, any vessel in the vicinity of whales may collide with the animals during the course of viewing activities, fishing activities and/or while transiting the whales’ habitats.
There currently are no rules governing the speed of vessels in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, but federal rules, specific to Hawaiian waters, require vessels to maintain a stand-off distance of at least 100 yards from humpbacks once they are detected. Unfortunately, whales are often not detected until a collision occurs. In the face of these detrimental interactions, WDCS continues its call for speed restrictions within the Hawaiian Sanctuary and other whale habitats.
WDCS is working with other conservation groups calling for a reduction in speed for ships entering the habitat of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Vessel speed, combined with the size of the vessel, combine to affect the force of any impact – which at worst can be lethal. Data show that lethal collisions decrease when vessels are traveling at less than 13kts. WDCS believes that vessels slowing to less than 13kts will also give the vessel operator, and the whales, a greater opportunity to avoid a collision.
WDCS continues to take the lead in promoting sustainable, well-managed whale watching in a variety of ways, including the development of training workshops for naturalists and whale watch operators; education programs for passengers through marine education and awareness materials and initiatives; campaigning for national/regional regulations; lobbying and assisting relevant parties to implement best practice when drawing up or revising regulations; promoting land-based whale watching where possible; encouraging further research into the impact of whale watching and other vessel interactions upon cetaceans, and developing a whale watching website offering operator listings, supporting fact sheets and other information.
Click on the links below to view examples of some of the training and awareness programs developed by WDCS to educate vessel owners to the risks and appropriate procedures of operating vessels around whales and dolphins.
