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Collisions

When ships collide with whales,
the animals rarely survive

In many marine regions, ships collide with marine life such as whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sea lions or sharks.  The size and speed of ships increases the risk of a collision. Animals are struck or injured by the ship’s propeller. In most cases, the strikes prove to be fatal.

OceanCare is making great efforts to minimize the risk of ship collisions with marine animals. Together with scientists and partner organizations, we are developing solutions that we communicate directly to the shipping sector and to governments. In this way, we effectively save lives and do everything in our power to prevent endangered whale populations from extinction.

The whales need us!

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    Your donation will help to ensure that threatened marine animals are protected and that their habitats are conserved.

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      Your donation will help to ensure that threatened marine animals are protected and that their habitats are conserved.

      The most important measures
      to prevent ship collisions with whales

      Risk hotspots: Re-route shipping traffic

      In some marine regions, shipping routes pass directly through breeding or feeding grounds of large whale and dolphin species: for example, south of Sri Lanka, where blue whales live, or in the Hellenic Trench off Greece, the home of sperm whales. Re-routing shipping lanes to avoid navigating through these areas significantly reduces the risk of collisions between ships and whales. Together with its partners, OceanCare has already been able to convince major shipping companies and shipping associations to reroute in certain areas.

      Speed reduction: Benefit for whales and the climate

      In cases where re-routing is not possible, shipping speed must be reduced. Reducing the speed of ships has been shown to reduce not only the risk of collisions with whales, but also CO2 emissions, other air pollutants and ocean noise.

      SAvE Whales: High Tech as a complementary measure

      In order to protect endangered sperm whales in the Eastern Mediterranean, OceanCare has funded the development of the world’s first integrated sperm whale localisation system. The SAvE Whales system can inform captains in real time about the presence of sperm whales. It is intended to become employed in those key zones where bypassing is not possible. The decision to use the SAvE Whales system lies with the Greek government.

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      SAvE Whales – protecting sperm whales from ship collisions

      There are about 200 sperm whales left in the eastern Mediterranean. Busy shipping routes cross through their habitat often resulting in collisions with whales. For regions where re-routing is not possible, OceanCare funded the development of the high-tech system «Save Whales». It warns ship captains when whales are present.  

      STORies about collisions

      Story

      Major Shipping Company slows down to protect Whales

      Read now
      Featured Collisions Underwater Noise Pollution
      Story

      International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

      Read now
      International Cooperation Collisions Underwater Noise Pollution
      Story

      Will «Moby Dick» disappear from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea?

      Read now
      Whales Collisions
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      news ABOUT collisions

      Major Danish shipping company strives for a brighter future for endangered sperm whales in Greek waters

      One of the largest shipping companies in Europe, DFDS, will alter their routes and slow down to reduce the risk of collisions with endangered sperm whales in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The planned changes should halve the risk of DFDS ships colliding with sperm whales in the areas west of...
      June 1, 2023
      Schifffahrt_Tanker

      French Shipowners Association calling on Members helping to protect endangered whales

      The international marine conservation organisation OceanCare welcomes today’s announcement by Armateurs de France, the French shipowners’ association, calling on its members to adopt voluntary action towards the protection of two endangered whale populations. The around 60 member companies, navigating around 1000 vessels, including cargo and container ships as well as...
      May 17, 2023
      Buckelwal

      New scientific paper emphasizes the major welfare concerns related to boat strikes on whales

      Sadly, many whales are struck each year by boats and as shipping has increased, so have these ship-strikes. Many whales are killed outright in such encounters but some, with varying degrees of wounding, survive. This new research is the first attempt to consider the severity of ship-strikes on whale welfare....
      March 5, 2023
      Finnwal

      IMO regulates shipping in the NW Mediterranean to protect endangered whales

      At the same time as the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity is being held in Montreal, today in London, the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has decided, at the proposal of Spain, France, Italy and Monaco, to declare the North-Western Mediterranean region...
      December 15, 2022
      Pottwal

      The Mediterranean and Black Seas are not a safe place for whales and dolphins

      On Friday, 2nd of December 2022, the 8th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) of the Convention to protect whales and dolphins in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region (ACCOBAMS) ended with poor future prospects. Although whale species are endangered and even highly endangered, the conference did not decide on any...
      December 5, 2022
      Pottwale

      High-risk collision hotspots in the Mediterranean Sea: Urgent measures required to save whales from vanishing

      From November 29 to December 2 representatives from 24 Mediterranean and Black Sea Range States meet in Malta deciding upon future conservation measures within the Agreement (ACCOBAMS) to protect whales and dolphins in these two seas. The international marine conservation organisation OceanCare is particularly concerned about the survival of the...
      November 28, 2022
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      6 Facts about collisions

      Ship strikes represent a serious conservation and welfare problem all around the globe.

      Collisions with large vessels often go unnoticed and unreported.

      Effective solutions: Moving shipping routes out of cetacean habitats and reducing vessel speed.

      A 10% reduction in speed across the global fleet would reduce the risk of ship strikes by 50%.

      Since 2007, the IWC has been developing a global database of collisions between ships and whales.

      SAvE Whales is the first real-time acoustic observatory for sperm whale localization to avoid ship collisions.

      About OceanCare
      OceanCare works with expertise and passion for ocean wildlife. Since 2011 with UN special consultative status for marine conservation.
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        About OceanCare
        OceanCare has been committed to marine wildlife protection since 1989.

        The organisation holds Special Consultative Status on marine issues with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
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        • Contact
        • Annual reports
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        OceanCare
        Gerbestrasse 6
        CH-8820 Waedenswil (Switzerland)

        Credit Suisse, CH-8810 Horgen
        IBAN: CH83 0483 5040 8744 0000 0
        BIC: CRESCHZZ80A

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        Subscribe to OceanCare’s e-newsletter and swim along on our news wave.

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