Innovative whale protection system launched by Ocean Wise

Ocean Wise has introduced a novel method to protect whales from ship disturbances and collisions in British Columbia's Salish Sea. The global conservation group is using hydrophones to automatically detect orcas and alert nearby commercial mariners through the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS). The alerts enable mariners to adjust their speed, change their route or stop their vessel to avoid disturbing or injuring the whales.

The hydrophones have been deployed at the Boundary Pass Underwater Listening Station located south of Saturna Island along a busy shipping lane frequented by orcas. Commissioned by Transport Canada and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program in 2020, this station monitors vessel noise levels. It now also detects marine mammals, particularly the endangered southern resident killer whales, in their critical habitat.

Ocean Wise envisions the hydrophone alerts in tandem with traditional observer reports conveyed through the WhaleReport app will significantly enhance mariner awareness of whale presence and substantially reduce the risk of vessel strikes.