According to a US Federal Agency a more frequent than usual rate of strikes is occurring along the Eastern US Seaboard for this time of year compared to previous years.
On the 4th of May 2014, a Cruise Ship bound for New York collided into and killed a whale. The vessel then dragged the poor whale into the Hudson River, which is seemingly just another incident.
In the past few weeks alone there were no les than 3 recent whale strikes. This includes one incident on the 7th of May 2014, where a Cruise Ship hit a “Sei” whale and never discovered this fatality until the vessel reached its destination port. In another incident, a “Sei” whale was found dead and attached to a container ship in a port near Philadelphia.
Environmentalists believe that the whales are most likely seeking food sources closer to shore. For example, a raised food supply was recently identified to be the main reason for a large increase in the volume of humpback whales off the coast of Massachusetts.
Here are some interesting facts according to the NOAA:
- 28 whale strikes in Northeastern waters between 2006 and 2010.
- Worldwide, a survey executed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (1975 – 2002) identified 292 records of confirmed or possible ship strikes to large whales.
- In the past the above translated to around 1 whale hit every couple of years according to a marine mammal rescue group on Long Island. Now it’s more like a couple every year. In 2014 there were 3 cases in the past few weeks alone.
Certainly the current situation cannot continue and it will not be long before this environmentally sensitive matter will hit the mainstream media, which will become yet another “bad news story” for the Cruise Ship Industry.
