Risso's Dolphin Welfare and Acoustic Disturbance

Risso's dolphins are among the most acoustically sensitive cetaceans and face welfare impacts from military sonar, seismic surveys, and vessel noise.

Key Facts

Risso's dolphins are heavily scarred from squid prey and intraspecific interactions
They are found in deep offshore waters and are sensitive to acoustic disturbance
Military sonar exercises have been implicated in mass strandings of Risso's and other beaked dolphins
Seismic air gun surveys cause acute acoustic trauma in marine mammals
Their offshore habitat makes monitoring and welfare assessment challenging

Welfare Considerations

Risso's dolphins exposed to high-intensity military sonar experience acoustic trauma causing haemorrhagic lesions in their acoustic tissues and disorientation leading to strandings. Gas emboli from rapid depth changes during sonar-induced panic diving cause decompression-like injuries. Stranded Risso's dolphins observed during post-sonar events show neurological symptoms and acute distress. Seismic surveys that precede offshore oil exploration use air gun arrays generating the loudest human-produced noises in the ocean, causing avoidance, stress, and potential injury across large areas.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for military sonar restrictions during cetacean migration and breeding periods
Advocate for seismic survey environmental impact requirements protecting cetaceans
Donate to ORCA monitoring programs tracking cetacean-vessel interactions
Support international agreements restricting acoustic pollution in cetacean habitats
Raise awareness about the welfare impacts of ocean noise on sensitive marine mammals