FACT CHECK: THE TRUTH ABOUT WHALES AND WIND FARMS

Those of us who have been lucky enough to see whales in the wild would agree it’s a spectacular privilege to witness these enormous creatures in action.

Travelling vast migratory distances and weighing up to an unfathomable 200,000kg (um, wow!), it’s easy to think of whales as magical and untouchable creatures who thrive in idyllic oceanic wonderlands. Sadly, this is not the case.

Despite their gigantic size and ability to migrate great distances, whales face an increasing number of threats, including vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing nets, marine pollution, overfishing of Antarctic krill and climate change.

But contrary to what you may have read or seen online, offshore wind farms are not included in this list of threats. In fact, when done right, offshore wind farms are actually a key tool in lessening the severity of climate change, something which will help protect the future of our oceans and the whales that inhabit them.

With so much (dis)information out there about the effects of wind farms on marine species, including whales, we’re setting the record straight on this misunderstood topic.

The ocean is a really great location for wind farms for a number of reasons

Why build wind farms offshore in the first place? Firstly, the relative smoothness of the ocean (compared to the trees, hills and buildings on land) allows wind to travel across the surface at a constant speed, making it perfect for consistently powering turbines.

Thanks to the strong winds that flow over it, the southern Australian coast is a particularly effective spot to place wind turbines and generate lots of energy. In fact, one 2.2 gigawatt wind farm has the potential to generate enough electricity for 1.2 million homes - that’s roughly the number of dwellings in Brisbane!

Secondly, building wind farms offshore allows for larger turbines (which means more energy from fewer turbine installations) as there are reduced space constraints. Building offshore also minimises land use impacts and has a smaller impact on surrounding communities.

The science is clear: offshore wind farms don’t kill whales

Let’s address the most important misconception: there is currently no scientific evidence that links offshore wind farms with whale strandings or deaths. Marine experts from around the world have repeatedly debunked this claim, citing that there is no data, nor really any anecdotal evidence, to back this up.

If it’s not true, where is this information coming from?

Despite no actual evidence that links offshore wind farms to whale strandings or deaths, why is this idea spreading on social media and misleading people who genuinely care about whales? Sadly, the answer is more nefarious than you might think.

In the US, experts credibly linked disinformation regarding whales and wind farms back to think tanks, which are organisations that are paid to, among other things, advocate on chosen issues.

The narrative of whales being harmed by wind farms has been traced to think tanks that receive funding from – you guessed it – oil and gas corporations.

While experts here believe the idea of wind farms killing whales has been directly imported from the US, the spread of disinformation in Australia has been linked back to conservative lobby groups and to a fake scientific journal article that has since been debunked.

The truth is, wind farms are actually relatively quiet, meaning minimal day-to-day disruptions for marine animals in the area.

Whales and other marine mammals, like dolphins, rely on sound and echolocation for navigation, to hunt and to figure out their environment. So, it makes sense that people are concerned about the auditory impact of machinery and power-generating structures in the ocean.

The good news is that the operational noise levels of wind turbines are considered relatively low and do not significantly exceed the noise levels of natural sounds already present in the ocean.

Further, unlike the deafening seismic blasts produced by survey equipment used for exploratory oil and gas research and planning, the methods and equipment used for seabed surveys for wind farm construction are not only much quieter but also take less time to conduct.

Knowing that the construction of wind farms can impact underwater species, there are now a number of different strategies to manage underwater noise and make the construction process gentler on ocean life.

While wind farm operation is relatively quiet under water, constructing a wind farm can be noisy, and whales, dolphins, sea turtles and some fish species can be vulnerable when exposed to high noise levels during construction of offshore wind projects.

Scientists have observed other marine mammals, such as porpoises and dolphins, avoiding the construction zones; therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that whales will be affected in the same way. Because of this, measures are routinely put in place to reduce the impacts of noise on whales and other marine mammals during wind farm construction.

Fortunately, effective approaches for managing species impact already exist, and new measures continue to be tested and applied for future wind projects. Some examples of existing and effective mitigation strategies include:

• Making sure no offshore renewables are built within marine protected areas, as these sites are considered sensitive areas for whales.
• Timing site activity and construction to avoid whale seasons, allowing whales to feed and migrate without being disturbed. 
• Visual and acoustic monitoring (i.e. having trained observers on site who are monitoring for signs of animal activity in the area) to make sure whales aren’t nearby before activities with potentially harmful noise levels start.
• Reducing noise during assessment and construction This could include by gradually increasing pile driving energy (pile driving is the process of pushing columns into the ground for foundational support), limiting the amount and duration of piling, and/or using noise barriers, such as bubble curtains.
• Bubble curtains are exactly what they sound like - underwater hoses on the seafloor are arranged around the construction activity and release a constant stream of air, creating a ‘curtain’ of bubbles around the construction site. Sound travels less effectively through air than water so when sound waves from construction hit the air bubbles, they slow down and disperse, resulting in less sound on the other side of the curtain.
• Slowing ship speeds and limiting vessel activity in the area.
• Further work to engineer new solutions that reduce the noise levels created by operating turbines. 

Scientific research means we’re understanding more about the effects of wind farms on other animals, such as birds and fish. But more research is needed in Australian ecosystems

Any form of habitat alteration, including the construction of wind farms, can affect species living nearby.

International research has found that birds, particularly migratory species, are at risk of collisions with turbines. Scientists have discovered that bird fatalities due to wind turbines are linked to the height at which particular bird species fly. As such, we now know which species are more likely to be at risk from collisions with offshore wind turbines and can mitigate this risk by planning the farms outside known bird migratory routes and by using larger but fewer wind turbines.

Changing the colour of wind turbines has also been proven to reduce fatalities, with a 2020 study referencing a 70% drop in bird strikes after researchers in Norway painted one blade of several wind turbines black.

Back under the surface, research shows that instead of simply having no effect on marine life, wind turbines are having positive effects in unlikely ways. Underwater structures of any kind provide valuable habitat for fish and other underwater animals. In this case, the base of the turbines gives them new surfaces and environments in which they can live and breed, especially when first colonised by other underwater organisms and turned into artificial reefs.

In turn, this is also positive for other animals like seals, as studies show they use underwater turbine structures as hunting grounds for fish and crustaceans. To make sure Australia’s wind energy industry is developed with the best outcomes for people and local wildlife, more research is needed into Australian ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them. We have a unique opportunity to lead a responsible and well-informed renewable energy transition, but we need independent and science-backed research to do so.

WWF-Australia supports the construction and use of offshore wind farms that are developed with care for marine ecosystems and species, and backed by scientific research.

Human-induced climate change is by far the largest threat facing all life on Earth, including whales.

Without a rapid transition to renewable energy, the worsening climate crisis threatens the survival of everything – from whales and other marine life to the health of our oceans, human well-being, and the future of our planet.

WWF-Australia supports a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy that credibly protects nature in all phases of planning, design, development and decision-making. This will be far less harmful than continuing down our current path of powering the world primarily with fossil fuels. Each renewable energy project is different and must be reviewed individually to understand the potential impacts on whales and other species. However, despite being in the news recently, there are no existing wind farms operating in Australian waters yet.

The offshore wind developments that have been proposed for future construction have to go through thorough environmental assessments before they receive final approval. This gives scientists, environmental groups, First Nations and communities the chance to influence how they are built.

When done well, offshore wind is a key part of the solution to climate change and, therefore, the protection of whales. While moving fast to deliver renewable energy, the offshore wind industry must develop in a way that protects and, where possible, regenerates our vital ocean life. 

Sadly, though, human activities are threatening whales in many other ways

Despite the vital role they play in the health of our planet and our lives, whales are facing a barrage of growing threats from humans. While the global moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986 allowed some populations to recover from the brink of extinction, some have not. Six out of the 13 great whale species globally are now classified as Endangered or Vulnerable. All around the world, mounting threats from human activities are making migrations between feeding and breeding grounds increasingly dangerous for whales. Entanglement in fishing gear (also known as bycatch), ship strikes, chemical and noise pollution from ships, seismic blasts, plastics, overfishing and human-induced climate change are impacting whales, their prey, and their habitats.

WWF-Australia is committed to helping whales through several conservation-based strategies

WWF is calling for a connected conservation approach that unites scientists, governments, industries and nature lovers like you across local, regional and global levels.  We’re contributing to the mapping of global whale superhighways to inform how we can better protect and manage critical ocean habitats for whales. Backed by solid science, whales are revealing to us how we can connect networks of marine protected areas to help reach the global goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

WWF-Australia is working in support of this groundbreaking global approach to:

• Secure critical ocean habitats for whales by uniting key southern hemisphere countries to protect 100 million hectares of ocean.
• Safeguard whale superhighways to protect existing whale populations and connect their critical habitats and migration corridors.
• Secure a healthy climate for – and with – whales, mitigating the impacts of climate change on people, the planet, and the wildlife and natural places we work to protect.

Your support can help us continue this critical conservation work

Together, we can protect our ocean giants and make their epic journeys safer for years to come. Over the next three critical years, we’re working to:

• Track and map whales – and their threats – as they journey along the coast of Western Australia to the Southern Ocean. You’ll also help study whales in Antarctica as they search for krill, which are decreasing in number as waters warm. You’ll help improve our understanding of whales so we can provide them with the right protections in the right places. 
• Draw on this research to design conservation solutions, such as a new network of marine parks to protect key whale habitats, strategies to keep whales safe from entanglement in fishing nets, and new shipping rules to prevent whale fatalities and reduce underwater noise pollution. 
• Bring together new science on the habitats, health and migrations of whales from Australia, the Western Pacific and the Antarctic to support the global effort to keep whales safe on their superhighways, including securing lasting protection for 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

You can support this work by signing petitions, spreading the word about the threats that whales face and donating to support whale conservation activities. You can read more about how we can work together to protect whales here.