Drones used to capture images of humpback whales in Hawaiian waters over the winter months has found evidence that many of the whales have been subjected to both boat strikes as well as fishing gear entanglement.
Scientists conducted over 125 drone flights to assess the body condition of the whales, including their size – with approximately 300 whales being measured/surveyed. Scientists were studying the “bioenergetic demands” of humpback whales that migrate from foraging grounds off Alaska to Hawaiian waters each winter.
Whale strikes are a matter of real concern in the Hawaiian Islands and as many collisions often go unnoticed these are likely to actually be under-reported to authorities. In late March of this year, a humpback whale calf was discovered injured following a boat strike in waters off south Maui and it is not known if the youngster survived. Ship strikes continue to pose a significant threat to whales (and dolphins) globally as, despite some vessels being large and very loud, these can still take a whale by surprise.
