Shipping and its impact on whales have long been under the critical scanner of the cetacean crisis. Many ships are blamed that they kill whales as a result of ships hitting whales. More authoritatively, shipping activity has become more of a menace than just a mere threat to the whales, especially for those residing in the North Atlantic.
Even though the exact death enumeration or injury of whales from ship collisions or underwater noise is well beyond any feasibility, a number of institutions have taken a step forward to quantify the issue and help provide mitigation measures.
An incident where a ship hits whale is called a ship strike or vessel strikes. Apart from blue whales and right whales, other most affected species are the fin whales, humpback whales, sperm whales, and grey whales. The damage because of collision with ships or when a whale is hit by propeller includes – fractured skulls, jaws, bones, vertebrae; deep propeller wounds, and long, parallel cut marks on the dorsal aspect, into the insulating blubber.
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Source: Marine Insight
