whales and underwater noise – factsheet

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) depend on sound to find food, to communicate with one another and to navigate. Underwater noise, created by humans, can drive whales and dolphins out of their habitats and in extreme cases, cause them to strand on beaches. Of all ships globally, around 15% of these cause the most noise. Better maintenance, slower sailing and applying silencing technologies, could reduce shipping noise considerably.