Two More Sperm Whales Killed by Ship Strikes in Canary Islands Highlight Urgent Need for Vessel Speed Reduction
Two more sperm whales killed by ship strikes in waters off Tenerife as species faces local extinction from maritime traffic. Researchers call for urgent vessel speed reduction to prevent further deaths.
- Young breeding-age female and juvenile sperm whale found dead due to brutal impact with boats off Tenerife
- Species facing catastrophic 50% population decline in Canary Islands as maritime traffic creates “attractive sink habitat”
- Scientific evidence shows risk of collisions drops dramatically when vessel speeds remain below 10 knots
- OceanCare calls for mandatory vessel speed limits as urgent measure to protect endangered marine wildlife
The deaths of two more sperm whales from ship strikes in the Canary Islands underscore the urgent need for mandatory vessel speed limits in such high-risk areas to protect endangered marine wildlife, conservation experts warn. The latest fatalities bring into sharp focus the devastating impact of maritime traffic on a species already facing a catastrophic population decline in the archipelago.
According to researchers from the Oceanographic Centre of the Canary Islands, the female whale measured just 9 metres – the size at which sperm whales reach sexual maturity – meaning she likely reproduced only once, or not at all, before being killed. The second specimen appears to be a juvenile that will never have the chance to contribute to population recovery.
Carlos Bravo, Ocean Policy Expert at OceanCare, highlighted:
“Decision makers have to be alarmed by the increase in vessel strikes of endangered whales, particularly on routes where high-speed ferries operate. Vessel strikes pose the main threat to the survival of sperm whales in the Canary Islands, but also in other regions like the Mediterranean Sea. These shocking images show the great suffering caused to these intelligent animals. Political leaders must act without further delay and impose mandatory speed limits in these high-risk areas for marine wildlife – and also for shipping in general to reduce its environmental and carbon footprint.”
The complex social structure of sperm whales makes each death particularly devastating. Females remain in matrilineal family groups for life, with older females serving as repositories of crucial knowledge about feeding grounds. The loss of each individual breaks vital social links within these close-knit communities, with significance far beyond mere numbers.
Latest studies reveal the archipelago’s sperm whale population has suffered a catastrophic 50% decline, with more animals dying than being born. Given sperm whales’ slow reproductive rate populations cannot recover quickly enough to compensate for collision losses.
Dr Natacha Aguilar de Soto, Oceanographic Centre of the Canary Islands (IEO/CSIC), explained:
“The sperm whale in the Canary Islands is heading towards local extinction, a chronicle of a death foretold for decades. These two sperm whales with huge frontal cuts are one more proof that this serious problem continues. In less than the lifespan of a sperm whale, the speed of ships has more than doubled and the number of ships transiting its habitat has increased by more than 100%.
“We have filled the oceans with high-speed highways in one generation of the sperm whale. Despite their large brain, they have not yet learned to avoid collisions with ships. Sperm whales need to rest on the surface to be able to perform their famous diving feats. If they interrupt their rest every time they hear a vessel approaching, they would not be able to recover their strength to hunt in dives that can reach almost 3 km deep and last more than two hours.”
Scientific evidence demonstrates that collision fatality rates drop dramatically when vessel speeds remain below 10 knots. Reducing ship speed delivers multiple environmental benefits beyond collision prevention, including decreased underwater noise pollution and reduced greenhouse gas emissions – making it the most cost-effective and fastest measure to implement.
The Canary Islands serve as critical habitat for sperm whales in the northeast Atlantic, supporting breeding populations year-round. Despite the archipelago’s favourable conditions, it has become what researchers term an “attractive sink habitat” – drawing whales from nearby areas only to expose them to fatal collision risks.
The crisis extends beyond the Canary Islands, with the Mediterranean Sea experiencing similar population declines. Recent surveys show fin whale numbers in the north-western Mediterranean have halved since the 1990s, while both fin and sperm whales now face “endangered” status, with ship strikes identified as the primary cause of human-induced mortality. The region’s intensive maritime traffic – approximately 220,000 vessels annually, many travelling at dangerous speeds – compounds the threat to these vulnerable populations.
Notes to editors
Sperm whales hold numerous marine records as the Ocean’s largest predator, possessing the most powerful echolocation system and the largest brain in the animal kingdom. Their complex social structures mirror human family bonds, with multi-generational knowledge transfer essential for survival.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists sperm whales as vulnerable globally, with regional populations like those in the Canary Islands facing more severe threats. Ship strikes represent the primary human-caused mortality factor for large whales worldwide.
Whales in the Mediterranean face similar crisis
In the north-western Mediterranean, the situation is equally worrying. The populations of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Mediterranean Sea have experienced an inferred continuing decline in the number of mature individuals. The latest ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative (ASI), promoted by the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), revealed that the number of fin whales in the region has decreased from an estimated 3,500 in the 90s to 1,800 between 2018 and 2019. Based on existing research, the Mediterranean is predicted to have a population of sperm whales ranging from 500 to 5,000 individuals, with the number of mature whales estimated to be between 250 and 2,500.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintained the sperm whale’s classification on the Red List as “endangered” in its most recent assessment in December 2021, whereas the fin whale’s status in the Mediterranean was altered from “vulnerable” to “endangered”. Ship strikes are the primary source of human-induced mortality in the northern Mediterranean for these two species.
This region has high and growing levels of marine traffic. The annual ship traffic in this area amounts to approximately 220,000 vessels, with commercial ships often sailing at speeds ranging from 14 to 20 knots, and ferries reaching speeds of up to 35 knots. According to navigation data analysis (AIS), commercial vessels sailing in this area travel nearly 75% of the total distance at average speeds exceeding 10 knots.
Sperm whale biology and social structure
A female sperm whale will – if she is lucky enough to survive – only have about 10 calves in her lifetime, investing enormous effort in each one: more than a year of gestation (14-16 months) to give birth to a calf of about 4 metres in length, several years of nursing and even more time of guidance, until young males leave the maternal family group at about 10 years of age.
Females normally remain in the maternal group for life. These groups are typically matrilineal and long-lasting family bonds are established around the care of the young. Older females accumulate valuable knowledge to guide the group in search of productive feeding grounds within the large oceanic expanses of warm, temperate waters.
Males mature solitarily in cold waters and join matrilineal clans only on migratory breeding trips when they reach about 30 years of age.
Global initiative demands vessel speed reduction
OceanCare’s “Because Our Planet Is Blue” campaign calls for mandatory vessel speed reduction as one of six urgent measures needed to protect marine ecosystems. The campaign will present these demands at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France in June 2025.
The “Because Our Planet Is Blue” petition, which has already garnered more than 90,000 supporters, specifically calls on governments to “implement mandatory measures to reduce vessel speed” as one of six critical steps to protect marine life and restore Ocean health. The campaign emphasises that reducing ship speed is the most cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Ocean noise emissions and the risk of ship strikes of large animals, and could be implemented immediately without requiring new technology or massive capital investments.
Publications
- Because Our Planet Is Blue: Declaration for the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025
- Petition website “Because Our Planet Is Blue”
Image material
- Fatal Ship Strike: Young Female Sperm Whale Washes Ashore in Tenerife, Canary Islands (Photo: Marc Martin Solar)
- Ship-Struck Sperm Whale Drifts Near Tenerife Coast(Photo: Marc Martin Solar)
- Sperm Whale Pod Swimming Off Northern Tenerife, Canary Islands – December 2024 (Photo: Spotted fabri)
- Video: Tenerife, Canary Islands: Removal of Sperm Whales Killed in Ship Strikes