Groundbreaking system to prevent collisions between whales and sea-craft

In 2002 André received a Rolex Award for Enterprise for his project, which kept it alive through numerous technical challenges. The technology underwent successful sea-trials in the Mediterranean a year ago, where it detected artificial “clicks” up to two kilometres away with ease, he says. “We can now guarantee the underwater antenna works well,” he says. The low frequency sounds made by sperm whales, for example, can probably be detected as far as 10-15 kilometres away.

The next stage is to test the technology using real whales, and to do this André is now raising funds for trials off the Mediterranean’s Balearic Islands through his foundation Sons de Mar.

If these are successful his plan is to commercialise the technology for worldwide application wherever there is a problem with whales and surface vessels – in the busy sea-lanes off Japan, or off Boston harbour in the US for example, where there is a critically endangered population of right whales. And, he adds, off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand where yachts and pleasure craft report increasing numbers of whale encounters.

André says his WACS has other applications besides helping to prevent collisions between whales and ships, including its use to improve human safety in ocean yacht races. As a scientific instrument it can be used to study the daily lives and behaviour of whales in hitherto undreamed-of detail. For whale watchers and tour operators, it may provide a new way to observe and marvel at these giants of the deep.

One of its most important roles is to make humanity more aware of the problems it is causing in the oceans through noise pollution – just as it has become conscious of the impact of chemical pollution on rivers and carbon dioxide emissions on the climate. Silencers, developed for Naval use as stealth technology, can now be fitted to ships and pleasure cruisers which cut their noise penetration to a few metres by shrouding the hull in a curtain of fine bubbles. It is time for environmentally-conscious boat owners to consider such things, he says.

“The more noise we put into the ocean, the more we affect the way sea life communicates and lives,” the Rolex Laureate says. “This means that we are compromising their survival … the way they find their food and the way they breed. Nowadays there is no region around the world that is not affected by noise pollution. Due to its low-frequency components, a sound source may propagate over thousands of miles. The control of these sources constitutes a scientific challenge and an important responsibility for society, governments and all those who use the oceans.”

The Rolex Awards

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise recognise great achievements, encouraging a spirit of enterprise in visionary individuals who advance human knowledge and well-being.

...continued