"Not Just Fuel Prices: Whale Collision Risks Surge as Hormuz Blockade Reroutes Ships"

Whale "Marine Roadkill" Risk Quadruples
Rerouted Ships Infringe on Habitats
Whales Often Fail to Detect Vessels While Feeding

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, ships avoiding the Red Sea and Suez Canal have crowded into the southwestern waters off South Africa, leading to significant overlap between whale habitats and shipping routes.

According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the average number of commercial vessels sailing around South Africa reached 89 per day in March and April of this year, more than doubling compared to the same period last year.

The researchers specifically warned that the surge in high-speed vessels has increased the risk of collisions by nearly four times. They emphasized that whales are often unable to detect the approach of ships when they are preoccupied with feeding and other activities, which further increases the danger.

Officials from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) explained, "Some species have become accustomed to ship movements and avoid them, while others have not yet adapted and therefore cannot evade them."

There is also analysis suggesting that climate change has altered whale migration routes and feeding behavior, further increasing the risk of ship collisions.

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

It was also noted that studies are underway on the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based cameras on ships.