Make Way for Whales
Shifting Shipping Lanes to Protect Migratory Marine Mammals
One of the biggest threats to migratory whales are collisions with ships.
Many whale species prefer the same coast lines that are heavily populated and trafficked by humans. Due to this shared love of the coast, ship collisions with whales are not uncommon. In the early 2000s, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) first began shifting shipping lanes to protect the right whales in the Bay of Fundy and Boston Harbor. Over the last decade at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Héctor M. Guzmán has pioneered a satellite-positioning system to follow and track other migratory whale species in Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, and more recently Mexico. In several of these nations his work helps large shipping vessels avoid collisions with these magnificent creatures and has reduced the probability of whale-ship collisions in Panama and Costa Rica by 90 percent.
Héctor Guzmán, marine ecologist, with an air launcher which is used to tag the whale. Credit: Sean Mattson, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
How do we know where whales like to roam day and night? Scientists are using electronic tag devices, attached to the whales, which track their underwater movement and behavior. The tags work by transmitting a whale’s location via satellite several times a day when the whale surfaces. This allows scientists and researchers to map their movement.
Panama
Each year, thousands of ships pass through the Pacific waters of Panama as they cruise towards the Panama Canal. Las Perlas Archipelago, which is composed of 250 basaltic rock islands and islets in the Gulf of Panama, is a natural breeding area for humpback whales. Whales that summer in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres travel across ocean basins to breed in the waters off of Panama. This creates many opportunities for ships and whales to come in contact. An analysis with ship data and whale satellite locations showed that during a 2009 study, 53 percent of whales had close encounters with a ship. To reduce collisions between whales and ships in the Gulf of Panama, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) created a speed limit of 10 knots (or 11.5 miles per hour) in August - November, when whales are at the peak of the breeding season.
*Shipping data from 2013
Based on Héctor Guzmán's studies, Panama implemented new shipping lanes to minimize overlap between shipping routes and humpback whale migration routes and a policy to reduce ship speed during the peak of breeding season.
It took three years of teamwork between the Panama Maritime Authority, the Panama Canal Authority, the Panama Chamber of Shipping, and Guzmán, to help shepherd the policy into law. Approved by the Republic of Panama and adopted by the International Maritime Organization, the Panamanian shipping lanes were implemented in December 2014. A follow-up study by Guzmán found that between 2017 and 2019 eight large whales were reported dead, a 38 percent decrease from reports between 2009 and 2011.
Costa Rica
Golfo Dulce and Caño Island are two key breeding areas for humpback whales. These areas are also popular for whale-watching tourism. Guzmán followed seven whales, three of which migrated southward and crossed the border with Panama.
*Shipping data from 2013
The research in Costa Rica contributed to new maritime safety and cetacean protection
The Directorate of Navigation and Safety at Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, with advice from Guzmán, spearheaded legislation to establish two new maritime route systems, creating an Area-to-be-Avoided and a Traffic Separation Scheme to increase maritime security and reduce whale collisions in the Costa Rican Pacific at the entrance of Golfo Dulce and the Gulf of Nicoya.
Ecuador
To study short- and long term movement of whales during their breeding season, satellite tags were deployed on 47 humpback whales in Ecuador and Panama between 2009 and 2015. In Ecuador, Salinas is located at the tip of the Santa Elena Peninsula in the westernmost point and is the northern limit of the Gulf of Guayaquil. A narrow shelf surrounds the peninsula, and the geographic characteristics of the area allow researchers to have rapid access to the whales’ migratory corridor. As of 2021, scientists are in ongoing discussions with the governments of Ecuador and Peru to implement shipping routes.
*Shipping data from 2013
Whales in Boston : After a decade of negotiation, in 2008 officials in Boston agreed upon shipping regulations to protect right whales when they arrive in the area.
Satellite Whale Tracking Yields International Protection in Panama: Learn more about how Smithsonian scientist, Héctor Guzmán, used tracking capabilities to contribute key data for new environmental policies designed to protect marine life in Panama.
Panama Changes Shipping Lanes to Save Whales : Panama implemented shipping lanes for commercial vessels entering and existing the Panama Canal.
Smithsonian Science Supports Costa Rican Cetacean Conservation: Tracking research contributes to maritime safety and whale protection in Costa Rica.
Overview on Whales : Are you a student researching whales or someone looking to learn more about them? This overview dives into everything to know.
