We’re way too loud for whales

ON Feb 18, five sperm whales were seen feeding off the northwest coast of Scotland.

Meanwhile, new research suggests humpback whale numbers have risen in the North Atlantic. But the news on whales isn’t all good; there is so much manmade noise in the sea that humpbacks and right whales have to ‘shout’ to be heard above the din. The highly endangered right whale also has a ‘road safety’ problem.

The sperm whales were spotted by fishermen off the island of Rona. These deep-water giants, of Moby Dick fame, live fairly solitary lives and venture this far north only in summer. According to Dr Peter Evans of Seawatch, this winter sighting of a group is notable not just for the time of year but for its inshore location. It could be a “reflection of climate change, with their main prey, squid, becoming more abundant locally in recent years, resulting in animals staying through the winter to feed, rather than travelling into lower warmer latitudes”.