Whales at risk

The safety of western Scotland’s whales and dolphins has been called into question following an incident involving naval sonar. This took place during the major NATO military exercise, Joint Warrior, in Scottish waters.

Military sonar on the hydrophone
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) conducts regular boat surveys for whales and dolphins on the west coast of Scotland using observers and hydrophones (underwater microphones). On the 12th May, they observed two minke whales within an hour displaying unusual and worrying behaviour. At the same time they heard military sonar on the hydrophone – sometimes so loud that they could not keep the headphones on. The whales were both moving in the same direction at high speed, regularly leaping clear of the water. This behaviour, known as ‘porpoising’, is more typical of dolphins and rarely seen in undisturbed whales.

HWDT and WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) have renewed their call for a full and transparent Environmental Impact Assessment to be conducted by the Ministry of Defence for the exercise.

More from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT)

Category: Conservation