Whales Face Quadrupled 'Marine Roadkill' Risk as Hormuz Blockade Reroutes Ships

by Choi Young

Published 13 May.2026 13:49(KST)

Increased Rerouted Vessel Traffic Encroaches on Habitats
Whales Unable to Detect Ships While Foraging

The photo is not related to specific content of the article. Pixabay

A recent study has found that the risk of collisions between whales and ships has increased as more vessels are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, instead of passing through the Strait of Hormuz, due to conflicts in the Middle East.

According to AFP on May 12 (local time), researchers at the University of Pretoria in South Africa reported at a recent International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting that, since the end of 2023, vessels have been avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal and converging in the southwestern waters of South Africa, where major whale habitats and shipping lanes now significantly overlap.

Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicate that, in March and April of this year, an average of 89 commercial ships per day sailed around South Africa—more than double the number from the same period last year.

The researchers warned that the surge in high-speed vessels has nearly quadrupled the risk of collisions. They emphasized that whales are often unable to detect approaching ships when busy foraging, making them even more vulnerable.

Officials from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) explained, "Some species have become accustomed to ship behavior and avoid them, but others have not yet adapted and are unable to avoid ships."

There is also an analysis that climate change has altered whale migration routes and feeding patterns, further increasing the risk of ship strikes.

The report concluded that even minor changes, such as shifting shipping routes slightly farther from the coast, could reduce collision risks by 20 to 50 percent.