In the Indian Ocean, an unusual alliance is beginning between conservationists and shipping companies. For numerous safety reasons, global officials hope to move shipping lanes that overlap with the feeding grounds of blue whales. So far, the only holdout to the plan is the government of Sri Lanka.
Biologists estimate that 600-1,500 of the giants feed on tiny shrimp in the blue waters of Sri Lanka’s shipping lane. These majestic creatures can grow to over 100 feet—more than twice the length of a T-Rex. They’re also believed to give birth nearby.
But life in a shipping lane can be dangerous—even when you’re gigantic. Some studies estimate ships strike and kill dozens of blue whales in Sri Lankan waters every year. Scientists also believe that up to 50 more may go undetected because the dead whales sink to the bottom of the ocean.
Shipping executives know their ships would be safer in waters not already clogged with fishing vessels, whale-watching boats, and whales. They say they would gladly relocate their traffic corridor. They’ve agreed to move the busy Sri Lankan lane about 17 miles away.
But despite meetings among scientists, the shipping industry, and United Nations officials, Sri Lankan officials are not yet supporting the shipping-lane shift.
Rohana Perera of Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority says his government worries about the economic impact of moving the shipping lane. Officials fear passing ships might not stop in Sri Lanka. He suggests his country’s decision about the move could come this month.
“Conservation problems are usually so complex, but this one is very clear-cut,” says Asha de Vos, executive director of Oceanswell, a Sri Lankan marine nonprofit. “This is a situation where Sri Lanka could really shine.”
(A blue whale swims near Sri Lanka as a container ship appears in the background. Tim Lewis/International Fund for Animal Welfare via AP)
