July 10, 2026
Climate Change’s Impact on Whales: Why Slowing Ships Matters
Estimated reading time: 0 minutes
BY: Hanna Vatcher
If we listen carefully, whales are sending us a clear message. Climate change’s impact on whales is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. How we choose to act could help reverse the decline of these ocean giants that call Canada home.
Whales do not just live in the ocean. They help hold it together by moving nutrients and supporting food webs. When whales disappear or shift their locations, there are ripple effects through the marine ecosystem. Today, those effects are already underway.
How Does Climate Change Impact Whales?
Climate change is pushing whales into new waters. As the oceans warm, their food is shifting. Many species now travel farther to survive. Fin and minke whales are switching from krill to fish. North Atlantic right whales have left historical feeding grounds in the Bay of Fundy and have moved into the Gulf of St. Lawrence in search of their main prey, tiny zooplankton called calanus. But these new routes come with danger. They overlap with some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. That is where the real problem begins.
Ship strikes are one of the biggest threats to whales. And the risk is growing.
Research shows global ship traffic has surged by nearly 300% in the past two decades, bringing more ships into critical whale habitats and migration routes. In Canada, the Port of Montreal is expanding its container terminal in Contrecoeur, adding significant shipping capacity by 2030. More ships in the water mean greater danger for whales, and a higher risk of collisions.
Since September 2025, three humpback whales have been hit by ships off British Columbia. One whale, known as Midnight, died after a strike in Wright Sound. Another, Skipper, suffered severe injuries near Vancouver. A third whale was likely killed by a whale-watching vessel. These are not isolated cases. They are warning signs.
Climate Change is Disrupting Whale Food Supply
Recent studies show that grey whales face a similar crisis. They rely on Arctic feeding grounds to survive their long migration. But warming waters are disrupting their food supply, forcing some of them to adapt. Since 2018, more grey whales have entered San Francisco Bay, seeking new habitat which is unfamiliar and can be unsafe. Between 2018 and 2025, 70 grey whales died in the region, with ships responsible for killing at least 30 of them. Off the coast of British Columbia, four grey whales were found dead within 10 days, setting off alarm bells for researchers. For many whale species, adapting to climate change also means facing greater threats from human activity.
Avoiding Ship Strikes on North Atlantic Right Whales
North Atlantic right whales are especially vulnerable because they swim slowly, are hard to see, and spend a lot of time near the surface. Their dark bodies and lack of a dorsal fin make detection difficult, especially in poor weather conditions. Ships often do not see whales and when they do, they can’t always react in time to avoid a collision. Whales cannot move fast enough to avoid a collision. The result is tragic, but it is preventable.
Since 2017, at least 27 North Atlantic right whales have been killed or injured because of ship strikes throughout Canada and the U.S. In Canada, Transport Canada has made important efforts to reduce these threats through ship slowdowns and a restricted area when right whales are present. While there have been no reported ship-strike deaths of right whales in Canada since 2019, that does not mean they are not happening. Roughly two-thirds of right whale deaths go undetected. The true scale of the problem must not be overlooked.
Stronger Actions Are Needed to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales
Ship speed limits, when mandatory and enforced, help reduce risk, but with only 384 individuals remaining, these actions fall short. We need clear and enforceable solutions. Oceana Canada is urging Transport Canada to:
- Make all slowdowns for ships mandatory, including in the Cabot Strait when right whales are in Canadian waters.
- Expand the Restricted Area in the Shediac Valley to better reflect the location of right whales in a critical feeding area.
- Continue to expand the use of a comprehensive array of technologies (including acoustic, satellite and infrared) to look for right whales and to better understand their movements in Canadian waters.
Slowing ships and reducing traffic in whale habitats are the best solutions to give whales a fighting chance of surviving deadly collisions. Right now, whales are adapting to changes in the ocean driven by climate change — changes that are overwhelmingly caused by human activity. The science is clear and solutions exist to protect them. It is time we respond with urgent action, before it’s too late.
Learn more about Oceana Canada’s work to protect endangered North Atlantic Right Whales.>>>
If we listen carefully, whales are sending us a clear message. Climate change’s impact on whales is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. How we choose to act could help reverse the decline of these ocean giants that call Canada home.
Whales do not just live in the ocean. They help hold it together by moving nutrients and supporting food webs. When whales disappear or shift their locations, there are ripple effects through the marine ecosystem. Today, those effects are already underway.
How Does Climate Change Impact Whales?
Climate change is pushing whales into new waters. As the oceans warm, their food is shifting. Many species now travel farther to survive. Fin and minke whales are switching from krill to fish. North Atlantic right whales have left historical feeding grounds in the Bay of Fundy and have moved into the Gulf of St. Lawrence in search of their main prey, tiny zooplankton called calanus. But these new routes come with danger. They overlap with some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. That is where the real problem begins.
Ship strikes are one of the biggest threats to whales. And the risk is growing.
Research shows global ship traffic has surged by nearly 300% in the past two decades, bringing more ships into critical whale habitats and migration routes. In Canada, the Port of Montreal is expanding its container terminal in Contrecoeur, adding significant shipping capacity by 2030. More ships in the water mean greater danger for whales, and a higher risk of collisions.
Since September 2025, three humpback whales have been hit by ships off British Columbia. One whale, known as Midnight, died after a strike in Wright Sound. Another, Skipper, suffered severe injuries near Vancouver. A third whale was likely killed by a whale-watching vessel. These are not isolated cases. They are warning signs.
Climate Change is Disrupting Whale Food Supply
Recent studies show that grey whales face a similar crisis. They rely on Arctic feeding grounds to survive their long migration. But warming waters are disrupting their food supply, forcing some of them to adapt. Since 2018, more grey whales have entered San Francisco Bay, seeking new habitat which is unfamiliar and can be unsafe. Between 2018 and 2025, 70 grey whales died in the region, with ships responsible for killing at least 30 of them. Off the coast of British Columbia, four grey whales were found dead within 10 days, setting off alarm bells for researchers. For many whale species, adapting to climate change also means facing greater threats from human activity.
Avoiding Ship Strikes on North Atlantic Right Whales
North Atlantic right whales are especially vulnerable because they swim slowly, are hard to see, and spend a lot of time near the surface. Their dark bodies and lack of a dorsal fin make detection difficult, especially in poor weather conditions. Ships often do not see whales and when they do, they can’t always react in time to avoid a collision. Whales cannot move fast enough to avoid a collision. The result is tragic, but it is preventable.
Since 2017, at least 27 North Atlantic right whales have been killed or injured because of ship strikes throughout Canada and the U.S. In Canada, Transport Canada has made important efforts to reduce these threats through ship slowdowns and a restricted area when right whales are present. While there have been no reported ship-strike deaths of right whales in Canada since 2019, that does not mean they are not happening. Roughly two-thirds of right whale deaths go undetected. The true scale of the problem must not be overlooked.
Stronger Actions Are Needed to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales
Ship speed limits, when mandatory and enforced, help reduce risk, but with only 384 individuals remaining, these actions fall short. We need clear and enforceable solutions. Oceana Canada is urging Transport Canada to:
- Make all slowdowns for ships mandatory, including in the Cabot Strait when right whales are in Canadian waters.
- Expand the Restricted Area in the Shediac Valley to better reflect the location of right whales in a critical feeding area.
- Continue to expand the use of a comprehensive array of technologies (including acoustic, satellite and infrared) to look for right whales and to better understand their movements in Canadian waters.
Slowing ships and reducing traffic in whale habitats are the best solutions to give whales a fighting chance of surviving deadly collisions. Right now, whales are adapting to changes in the ocean driven by climate change — changes that are overwhelmingly caused by human activity. The science is clear and solutions exist to protect them. It is time we respond with urgent action, before it’s too late.
Learn more about Oceana Canada’s work to protect endangered North Atlantic Right Whales.>>>
