Humpback whales may risk collision with vessels in the Magellan Strait
Thursday, May 14, 2020 - 01:50
in Biology & Nature
Every summer (November-April), the Magellan Strait in the southwestern part of Chile becomes a popular feeding area for migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The narrow strait is also a heavily used shipping route. A new study by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and collaborating institutions tracked and modelled the movement of individual whales in order to evaluate the potential of vessel collisions and provide policy recommendations for the protection of whale species.