‘It’s nonstop’: how noise pollution threatens the return of Norway’s whales – the Guardian

‘It’s nonstop’

how noise pollution threatens the return of Norway’s whales – the Guardian

Recordings by biologist Heike Vester / Ocean Sounds reveal how oil and gas exploration as well as cruises, fishing boats and even whale-watchers are adding to the din underwater

By Miranda Bryant in Bodø, Norway for the Guardian

From the moment that the biologist Dr Heike Vester presses play, the sound of the static of the fjord fills the room. First comes the constant, steady rumbling of a boat engine. Then, every eight seconds, like a foreboding bass drum, comes the explosion of seismic airguns – extremely loud blasts used in oil and gas exploration that can travel vast distances underwater.

“Here, we have sperm whales clicking, pilot whales and seismic airguns,” Vester says. During another recording playback, she points out the sound of a tourist boat’s gears shifting as it follows a group of feeding orcas.

Suddenly, as the engine sound becomes overwhelmingly loud, the whales’ calls become almost inaudibly faint. “It really affects their feeding,” she says.

“As soon as there’s boat noise, they can’t feed any more. Whale-watchers should be aware of that.”