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Social Networking 
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Boat traffic
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The amount of traffic on oceanic waters is constantly increasing every year to meet public demand, this has the effect of disturbing habitats in local heavy traffic regions. It is the speed of these vessels however which creates the biggest problem for many cetaceans most of which are not able to out manoeuvre boats moving at higher speeds than they can. Also associated with the boat traffic is noise pollution. A scientific report published by WDCS in 2004 showed evidence that noise was affecting orca behaviour as they lengthened their calls in an effort to be heard over vessels in areas with large numbers of boats. The report suggested that if the growth in boat traffic continues apace, it could start interfering with the orcas' ability to find food . The scientific council of the IWC recently recognised that vessel collisions are a highly significant cause of mortality in baleen whales, after reports released by the US, Italy, France and South Africa showed that 12 – 20% of cetacean deaths were caused by vessel collisions. The species in most danger are the slow moving baleen whales, such as the Blue, Sperm, Humpback and Northern Right Whales – many of which are critically endangered. However it is important to recognise that a large amount of smaller cetaceans are also at risk from boat traffic Its not just collisions that have such an effect on cetaceans; the noise that the engines make disorientates the whales and interferes with their echolocation systems, such that hunting, feeding, navigation and communication are severely affected. A major threat to smaller whales and dolphins are jet skis and small recreational powerboats. Jet skis can move at speeds of up to 80mph; much too fast for cetaceans to out manoeuvre. At these speeds, the cetaceans are hard to spot and they will quite often get literally run over by the ski or boat and sustain potentially lethal injuries References Sperm whales and fast ferries in the Canary Islands Centre for biological diversity Information on the Northern Right whale Environmental investigation agency Habitat degradation Ocean wide science Hawaiian whale and boat collisions Science Daily Article on the risk of boat collisions with whales Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Collisions and Northern Right whales The Honolulu Advertiser Article on Collisions NOAA Strategy on reducing whale and boat collisions Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Action to save Right Whales Komo TV Death of whale attributed to ship collision Information on SONAR BBC Police investigate whale accident Brixham news Protect Dolphins in Torbay Noise Pollution Orca whales disorientated by noise from ships |
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