Overview
- New research presented to the International Whaling Commission finds that detours around the Cape of Good Hope have created heavy overlap between busy shipping lanes and key whale habitat.
- IMF PortWatch data show an average of 89 commercial vessels rounded southern Africa between March 1 and April 24 this year, up from 44 in the same 2023 period.
- The surge follows Houthi attacks that diverted ships from the Red Sea and a Strait of Hormuz shutdown tied to the United States–Israel war with Iran, which pushed more vessels to the Cape route.
- Scientists warn of “cryptic mortality,” where whales struck offshore sink or go unseen, and note faster traffic has risen sharply as humpback superpods feed off South Africa’s busy west coast.
- South Africa’s environment ministry says it will evaluate mitigation options, including modest offshore lane shifts, lower ship speeds, and real‑time whale alerts that researchers say can sharply cut collisions.