A team of Japanese researchers involving the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association and the Hokkaido University just released findings of a study which looked into the reactions of singing male humpback whales to a passenger-cargo vessel passing by in a remote region off the Ogasawara Islands. Given the fact that the ship crossed the whale habitat just once a day, the findings are quite remarkable. The whales reduced sound production and stopped singing temporarily. There is now extensive coverage and discussion about these scientific findings.
The AFP report (see below) includes OceanCare’s reaction to the findings.
The full study can be accessed here.
AFP ran a big article about the findings and reported on reactions to the findings by researchers and conservationists.
Some examples for media coverage:
English:
French:
German:
Spanish:
http://elmundo.sv/cuando-los-barcos-pasan-las-ballenas-se-callan/
