Expanding maritime activity in this area of the world presents new risks, including oil spills, vessel strikes, underwater noise, and other forms of human disturbance and pollution. To help mitigate these risks, WWF and the Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK) are working with experts to develop a set of wildlife alerts that MXAK will seasonally broadcast to vessels.

A new alliance commencing with voluntary measures is a significant first to improve the conservation of whales with benefits to other marine life and coastal communities in Chile.

Due to its high productivity, the Hellenic Trench is a refuge for a range of marine life including many cetaceans. It’s the primary habitat for an endangered group of sperm whales found only in the Mediterranean Sea and believed to number less than 200 individuals.

Last week, experts released a new population estimate for North Atlantic right whales, raising alarm that the iconic species is at the lowest point in about 20 years, numbering only 366 individuals, an 8% decline in one year.

Increasing shipping traffic worldwide poses a serious threat to whales and dolphins, warns two separate WWF reports launched today, on World Ocean Day. Both call for stronger action from governments and industry to urgently reduce shipping impacts to protect marine life.

Whales and ships have long shared the seas, but with global shipping traffic on the increase – along with the speed and size of the largest vessels – their worlds are colliding with devastating consequences.