2007-03-05 00:16:00 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Civic Participation
Yes, in fact it is. There is a naval post in the Bahamas working with marine biologists on that very subject. There is one specific species of whale (sorry, can't remember the name) that is most suseptible.
But its not just American military. There was an incidence of a whale getting caught in the Thames...driven there by confusion from the sonar. When they put microphones into the water, they realized that the whale was experiencing the equivalent of an airhorn being blown right into a human ear. In the end...he died, basically, from confusion.
2007-03-05 00:28:44 · answer #1 · answered by Super Ruper 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I guess it is possible that active sonar could possibly confuse a whale temporarily, but I have never seen any scientific evidence to support this position. Even so what you need to understand is that US Navy ships are not driving around the oceans constantly banging away with active sonar. The predominant use of sonar is passive. Active sonar travels great distances and tells everyone in the area your exact position thus making you an easy target. Active sonar is most often used for 2 reasons. The first is related to training exercises. The second is after target acquisition has been made you might go active for a brief period to firm up your targeting solution. Either way it is still rarely used as a rule.
2007-03-05 00:30:10 · answer #2 · answered by Bryan 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't kill them, per se, but it does seem to mess with their sonar and navigation, some species more than others.
Sonar (from ships from all countries, not just the USA) has been suggested as being responsible for some whale beachings. But even this is not definitive.
2007-03-05 00:34:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is some research out there that has suggested that some types of Sonar may effect marine life. There's something also called HARP that is used by the US military that screws with wales and dolphins natural sonar.
2007-03-05 00:23:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
specific they do. because of the fact the blast of sonar on the sea floor is so violent, they might injury the whale's ears and disrupt on how the whale navigates, inflicting them to be beached which kills them.
2016-12-18 06:01:05 · answer #5 · answered by erke 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are we implying that the sonar used on ships from other countries doesn't while US sonar does?
2007-03-05 06:38:38 · answer #6 · answered by permh20 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're absolutely right. Out of all the seafaring nations of the world, the USA is the only one using sonar. I'm also sure you have a whole pile of scientific data to back this claim up.
2007-03-05 00:29:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Yes it is, and killing alot more than just the whales
2007-03-06 05:02:55 · answer #8 · answered by joymlcat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
oh so sonars have nationality now
2007-03-05 00:19:04 · answer #9 · answered by xapao 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is apparantly frightening and confusing certain whale species.
2007-03-05 00:20:20 · answer #10 · answered by mamasquirrel 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋