Whales beached by US Navy sonar, report finds

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia ^ | Monday, December 24, 2001 | By James Woodford, Environment Writer

[Byron_the_Aussie]

A high-level investigation into a mysterious mass stranding of whales may offer an insight into why they so regularly beach themselves, and may force changes to way ships use sonar.

For years scientists and conservationists have tried to prove a link between the death of whales and noise pollution - military sonar, explosions, seismic tests for the oil industry and other man-made noises, which may be inaudible to us but deafening to sea creatures.

The United States Navy has now admitted that sonar emitted from its warships in the Bahamas in March last year contributed to the death of seven whales and the stranding of 10 others.

It is the first time the US Navy has accepted responsibility for such an incident and has resulted in a recommendation that measures be adopted to prevent other mass strandings.

Until now, efforts to link underwater noise pollution with whale deaths and strandings have been thwarted because whale carcasses decompose quickly.

But on March 15-16 last year, whales were washed up on to a beach near the home of the director of the Washington-based Centre for Whale Research. He made sure the remains were well preserved.

Conservationists in Australia have long been concerned about noise pollution and its impact on marine life. The campaigns director with the Australian Conservation Foundation, John Connor, said seismic testing by mining companies was of particular concern.

"For the whales it's like having a rock concert next door without any planning approvals whatsoever," Mr Connor said.

"All seismic testing and sonar equipment should have approval from the Commonwealth Environment Minister."

A joint report by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Navy says that 17 cetaceans from four species were found stranded within a 36-hour period along a 240-kilometre arc in the Northeast and Northwest Providence Channels of the northern Bahamas Islands.

Five whales were given post-mortem examinations. These "were in good body condition, and none showed evidence of debilitating infectious disease, ship strike, blunt contact trauma, or fishery related injuries".

However, hemorrhages were found near the ears. "Pathologists concluded that the hemorrhages occurred before death and would not necessarily have been fatal or have caused permanent hearing loss in terrestrial mammals. However, such hemorrhages ... may have compromised hearing or navigational abilities, resulting in disorientation and subsequent stranding."

The report says it is still not understood how the whales were injured by the sonar and more research is required.

"Based on the way in which the strandings coincided with ongoing naval activity involving tactical mid-range frequency sonar use ... the investigation team concludes that tactical mid-range frequency sonars aboard US Navy ships ... were the most plausible source of this acoustic or impulse trauma."

[Byron_the_Aussie]

I'm a little surprised the Navy has acknowledged blame in this way. We have many strandings, and whales entering harbours, here on the south-east coast of Australia. That's been happening since long before sonar; matter of fact, whale strandings were a major source of food for coastal aborigines prior to European settlement. And many of the recent strandings and harbour visitations seem to be made by sick or injured whales. Doesn't it stand to reason they come inshore to get away from the sharks?

[mickie]

This just makes me ill.
It is not fair or right to murder Gods creations in such a horrible way.
Guess I'll join the first environmental group I can find!

[Byron_the_Aussie]

Whales and dolphins are under no threat whatsoever here in Oz. Dolphins in particular swim off the coast in schools of hundreds, if not thousands. Their numbers have increased exponentially since the yellowfin and bluefin tuna which competed for their food source were wiped out. And the fast sharks like makos that used to prey on them are very much reduced in numbers, too.

There's only one solution. Managed hunting. A ballot for a thousand dolphin tags would be a good start. High protein renewable resource, and all that. And I'll bet it would be popular, too. Sinking home the steel and watching the rope snake over the gunwale would be a hell of a lot more exciting than sitting up a tree waiting for a buck to come off a cornfield. :)

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...it is not fair or right to murder Gods creations in such a horrible way....

Appreciate your gentle sentiment, Mickie.

But you can't 'murder' something that doesn't have a soul.

[The Great RJ]

If this were the case, WW-II (not to mention the subsequent atomic tests in Pacific waters) should have caused a decimation if not extinction of whales given the amount of ordinance being dumped into the oceans and the number of sonars being used during those years. Is there any historical record of mass beaching of whales during the war?

[Teacher317]

Whales never beached themselves before the advent of sonar?

[Teacher317]

"For the whales it's like having a rock concert next door without any planning approvals whatsoever," Mr Connor said.
"All seismic testing and sonar equipment should have approval from the Commonwealth Environment Minister."

And exactly how are THEY going to let the whales know?

[Temple Owl]

Teddy?