Ship strikes have become a real problem for whales in general and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in particular. And a new episode of this risk was experienced this Tuesday in waters near the Canary Island of Tenerife, when a specimen of these cetaceans would have died as a result of the blow with a ferry from the Fred Olsen Express company, which made the route between the ports Agaete (Gran Canaria) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
As reported by one of its passengers on this fast ferry and biologist Amanhuy Duque Hernández, the collision occurred shortly before reaching the port of destination. “When there were about 20 minutes left to get to Santa Cruz, I was photographing various birds, cetaceans and a sperm whale 200 meters from the boat when I felt a strong blow,” he explained to local media.
Duque fixed his gaze on the back of the boat: “In the wake of the ferry I could see a brown stain of blood and another adult sperm whale flailing in pain on the surface.”
“The truth is that it was a very emotional moment, because we maintain a certain bond with these animals. And with this event, this specimen also stirring, it is very impressive,” recalls Duque, in statements to Televisión Canaria Noticias.
Amanhuy Duque Hernández took advantage of the incident to insist that the speed at which many boats circulate poses a serious risk for the boats: “The higher the speed of the boat, the less the response capacity of the sperm whale will be.”
The Canary Islands authorities have not confirmed the death of the animal, although this biologist believes that it most likely died after the collision registered this Monday.
In recent decades, the Canary Islands have recorded a high number of collisions with sperm whales. In fact, it is one of the areas with one of the highest densities of maritime traffic on the planet. The matter is further compounded by the knowledge that this is the only known breeding population in the Northeast Atlantic.
To avoid this type of incident, in 2019, the Fred Olsen company and the University of La Laguna signed an agreement in which, among other measures, they undertook to install thermal cameras that would optimize the detection of cetaceans in the Special Conservation Area ( ZEC) to avoid colliding with them.
A reduction in the speed of boats would not only help to reduce the danger of collisions with cetaceans, but it is also one of the measures that international experts consider necessary to mitigate the noise of boats, which affects whales, fish in many ways and even plankton.
