Sperm whale killed by ship in Strait of Gibraltar
Dr de Stephanis leads Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans (CIRCE), external and is calling for ferries in the narrow strait to have marine mammal observers on board.
“If ferries had people looking out for whales and dolphins – and sharing what they see – it could help boats to avoid hotspots of the animals,” he said.
This incident highlights the danger that ship traffic poses to marine mammals. Videos captured by observers shortly after the collision showed a deep gash on the whale’s body.
Dr de Stephanis said that, every two to three years, a sperm whale in the area is killed in a similar collision. ‘We don’t have records of every incident,” he said. “There are probably more. But it’s already too much.”
Some estimates suggest there are as few as 1,000 sperm whales remaining in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a population officially classified as endangered., external
This most recent ship strike was particularly shocking for marine scientists in the area, because the whale had been spotted several times over the last three weeks. The most recent sighting was the day before the accident.
“He was a vigorous, strong male and looked very, very healthy,” said Dr de Stephanis. The whale had been known to researchers at CIRCE for more than a decade and it regularly visited the Strait of Gibraltar to feed.
The animal’s name – in the official population census – was PM-GIB-88, but marine researchers nicknamed him Julio, after Julio Eglasias.
