Rising Ship Traffic Off South Africa Due To Middle East Conflict Increases Risk To Whales, Scientists Say

Increased ship traffic off South Africa due to the Middle East conflict is raising the risk of whale collisions. Ships are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, avoiding Middle Eastern waters due to ongoing attacks and tensions involving Iran and the US, leading to a significant increase in collision risk, particularly with faster vessels. Experts warn that accurately measuring these collisions is difficult, and many whales may be dying undetected.