Western Gray Whale with Reseach Vessel (IMAGE)

Terry Collins Assoc

Western Gray Whale with Reseach Vessel

Caption

Whales rely on sound for communication, navigation and foraging. Exposure to loud noise from seismic surveys can result in stress and behaviour changes, affect foraging and nursing, or cause direct physical damage. The feeding areas near Sakhalin, a region with huge offshore oil and gas deposits subject to seismic surveying, are vital for survival of Western Gray Whales, listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They fast during the breeding season and most of their long migration from feeding to breeding and calving areas.

Credit

Yuri Yakovlev

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