• Scientists warn of an increased risk of collisions between whales and ships off South Africa’s south-western coast due to changing shipping routes caused by Middle East conflicts.
  • The rerouting of ships around Africa since 2023, when Houthi rebels hijacked a British-owned vessel, has substantially increased the chances of strikes, worsened by the US-Israel war with Iran.
  • Around 89 commercial vessels sailed around the Cape of Good Hope between March and April this year, almost double the figure from the same period in 2023.
  • Professor Els Vermeulen from the University of Pretoria presented findings to the International Whaling Commission, showing overlap of whale distribution with shipping routes.
  • Most collisions occur deep offshore, causing whales to sink to the ocean floor, making it difficult to estimate the scale (cryptic mortality).
  • Vermeulen suggests adjusting shipping routes and reducing vessel speed at certain times, but more data is needed.

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