Nearly 200 blue whales visit the Santa Barbara Channel each summer on their annual migration up the West Coast. Meanwhile, thousands of container ships transit the channels internationally designated shipping lanes each year, elevating the risk of ship strikes on these endangered animals.
Slowing ship speeds reduces air pollution and has been shown to reduce the risk of fatal strikes on whales. Recently, a group of organizations including the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and Volgenau Foundation collaborated to launch an incentive program to improve ocean management by getting shipping companies to voluntarily reduce their speeds in the Santa Barbara Channel region.
Funding from the foundation's Marine Conservation Initiative has helped support this work, through the Safe Passage Project's efforts to balance the needs of humans, whales and ships in the region. To learn more about the newly launched incentive program, read the announcement here.
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