Migrating Whales

They-say wind farms pose no threat to migrating whales, but millions are being spent on developing
mitigation methods or strategies to combat a threat "they-say" doesn’t exist.

A recent study found that more than 86% of possible offshore wind farm impacts on ecosystems are still unknown. Most papers we read openly conceade that there are masive knowledge gaps in research on offshore wind-farms. This page identifies the main threats to whales posed by offshore Renewable Energy Zones. The inapropriate sites chosen are a major concern for all of the coastal communities, who are directly impacted by so-called wind-farms.

Whales of Australia

At least 45 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises are found in Australian waters including 10 large whales, 20 smaller whales, 14 dolphins and one porpoise. Four whale species are currently listed as nationally threatened under the EPBC Act:
1. Blue Whale (endangered)
2. Southern Right Whale (endangered)
3. Sei Whale (vulnerable)
4. Fin Whale (vulnerable):

Bass Strait

Bass Strait serves as a crucial migratory corridor and feeding/calving area for several whale species. Notably the Southern Right Whale, the Antarctic and Pygmy Blue Whale, who use the sheltered coastal waters from May to November. Other species include the Minke Whale, Killer Whale and beaked whales that are frequently sighted in the Bass Strait, along with various dolphin species.

Wind Turbines

Offshore Substations

Offshore substations are a critical component of large offshore wind farms, collecting the electricity generated by the turbines. They converted the power from the array from AC to DC power to minimize energy loss in transmission to shore via export subsea cables. Where it is converted back into AC at a land based substation for inclusion into the main grid.

Noise Polution

Barrier Effect

Concerns have been raised that large whales may collide with and or become entangled in lines and cables from renewable energy installations, causing injury or death. Building 1,666 turbines in the Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone that covers anarea of 1.5 million hectares would create a massive barrier in the humpback highway.

Collision

During a storm or in a big swell floating wind turbines can rise and fall in quick sucession, which can cause the mooring lines and power cables to whip around wildly in all directions. The turbine on its own weighs up to 10,000tons. So anthything struck by the barnicle encrusted mooring lines and power cables, would suffer blunt force trauma or cause skin abrasians that could lead to death.

Electro Magnetic Field

Figure. c

Cable route configuration options as arrays increase in coastal waters include;
(i) simple individual exports from each array.
(ii) multiple cables that may be in corridors.
(iii) offshore collection platforms that employ higher capacity export cables.
All types of offshore wind-farms share a common feature, which is the inter-array power cables link individual turbines to each other and an offshore substation, forming the internal electrical network of a wind farm. These cables are a critical component for transmitting the generated power to shore.

North Sea

The image below clearly shows that the North Sea is not in a whale migration corridore. The green shaded area are satelite tracked whales. Which explains why there are no scientific studies on interaction between whales and wind turbines.

US Dead Whale Crisis

The dead whale crisis remains a contesious issue on America's east coast and its the worlds first deployment of offshore wind farms in a "whale migration corridore", which is also a critical habitat for breeding and feeding of the endagered North Atlantic Right Whales. Since the first large scale wind farm was only recently compleated in the US, all of the controversy regarding whale deaths over the last decade or so, could be atribute to preliminery surveying work and seismic mapping of The New York/New Jersey Bight.

Inapropriate Site Selection

Inappropriate site selection for offshore wind farms typically involves locations that conflict with environmental protection areas, navigation corridors, existing subsea infrastructure, areas of high social/visual impact or those with unsuitable technical conditions.

The Victorian National Parks Assosian advocates for a strong framework to guide development, identify “no-go” zones to protect marine parks sensitive areas and avoid or minimize impacts on biodiversity.
They go on to say "Current lack of planning of the marine environment is not setting Australia’s renewable energy transition up as a responsible one".