canary whales ship strike risk study

Canary whales face ship strike risk warns new study

Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.

Canary waters: a haven for deep-diving whales

The Canary Islands are one of the most important locations in the world for the study of cetaceans. The characteristics of the seabed and the influence of ocean currents make the Archipelago an area of exceptional biodiversity, home to 31 species of whales and dolphins, ten of which are specialised in deep diving. Among them are beaked whales, pilot whales and the sperm whale, one of the true giants of the ocean.

Yet their presence in Canary waters sits alongside one of the most serious threats posed by human activity: intense maritime traffic and, in particular, the risk of collision with vessels. Now, research carried out at the University of La Laguna (ULL) aims to provide new tools to reduce that danger.

New technology to protect deep-diving species

Biologist Olivia Marín Delgado has successfully defended her doctoral thesis, awarded an international mention, which focuses on the study and conservation of deep-diving whales through new technologies. The work, supervised by biologists Natacha Aguilar and Patricia Arranz Alonso alongside engineer María de la Peña Fabiani, combines acoustic tags, artificial intelligence and thermal infrared imaging systems.

The hidden cost of extreme dives

The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed cetaceans and is perfectly adapted to make extreme dives. It can descend to depths of more than 2,000 metres and remain there for over two hours in search of food. During such descents, its body undergoes major physiological changes to cope with the pressure and lack of oxygen. On returning to the surface, it needs time to recover before diving again, remaining for a period in a state known as “logging”, in which it floats almost motionless. It is precisely at this moment that it becomes exposed to passing maritime traffic.

The data gathered during the research points to the severity of the problem. Of the sperm whales found stranded in the Canary Islands over the past decade, 40% showed unequivocal signs of having been involved in a collision with a vessel. The study also suggests that this situation could be affecting the evolution of the sperm whale population in the Archipelago, with the possibility that more animals are dying than are being born.

The thesis also helps explain why these animals do not always move out of the way when a boat approaches. According to Marín Delgado, it is not necessarily the case that they fail to detect the danger. Rather, after an extreme dive, they need to remain at the surface for the minimum time essential to restore their physiological state before submerging once more.

Listening to the deep

One of the tools used during the research is the digital acoustic tag, or DTAG: a small device temporarily attached to the animal’s back using suction cups. These sensors simultaneously record a range of parameters, including ambient sounds, the cetacean’s movements, its orientation and the depth reached during dives. The system has also made it possible to analyse the sperm whale’s feeding strategy. In the deep ocean, where light barely penetrates, these animals use echolocation to locate their prey. Their clicks can reach source levels of up to 240 decibels, regarded as the most powerful biological sounds known to science.

When they detect prey and the moment of attack approaches, they alter the rhythm of their acoustic emissions, producing what are known as buzzes. The researcher used the animal’s response to the reverberation of its own sounds to study its acoustic sensitivity. When sperm whales hunt near the seabed, their own clicks can bounce off rocks and create an acoustically uncomfortable environment. The results show that they modify their behaviour to reduce this effect, which suggests that constant noise pollution from ship engines could interfere with their ability to feed.

A high-tech early warning system

The most technological part of the project seeks to turn this knowledge into a practical collision prevention tool. To that end, the research team is working with thermal imaging cameras installed on the bows of vessels. As cetaceans are warm-blooded animals, they produce a thermal contrast against the surrounding water, which makes them identifiable through such systems. Trials are being carried out in real navigation conditions with the ferry company Fred Olsen, on board two of its fast vessels.

The challenge is that environmental conditions can make detection difficult. Rough seas, humidity, sun glare or calima can significantly reduce the quality of thermal images. To tackle this problem, Marín Delgado has developed an artificial intelligence model capable of assessing image quality and estimating the real potential for detecting cetaceans depending on environmental conditions. The ultimate goal is for the system to alert the bridge when an animal is detected on the vessel’s path, allowing the crew to change course in good time.

Beyond the sperm whale: comparing diving specialists

The research has not been limited to sperm whales alone. To better understand the resting and recovery strategies associated with deep dives, the study compares its behaviour with that of two other diving specialists: Cuvier’s beaked whale and the northern elephant seal. Cuvier’s beaked whale can reach depths of up to three kilometres and remain underwater for around three hours. The elephant seal, meanwhile, undertakes continuous dives for months at a time, spending barely a few minutes on the surface between each one. The comparison provides a clearer picture of the different strategies these animals employ to cope with the physiological demands of living and feeding in such an extreme environment.

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