WSC and HUB Ocean Launch Digital Version of Whale Chart to Protect Whales
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The World Shipping Council (WSC), in partnership with HUB Ocean, launched a digital version of its Whale Chart on October 7, 2026, the tool that compiles mandatory and voluntary government measures aimed at reducing the risk of ship strikes with whales. The new platform seeks to give the maritime industry easier access to this information.
Origin and content of the tool
The Whale Chart was originally launched in 2023 as the first global compilation of known government measures to protect whales from ships. It includes speed restrictions, routing requirements, areas to be avoided, and rules to reduce underwater noise generated by vessels.
Statements from those responsible
Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council, explained that mariners operate across different jurisdictions with protection measures that vary by country or region, and that bringing this information together digitally on ships' bridges makes it easier to use in voyage planning. For her part, Kimberly Mathisen, CEO of HUB Ocean, noted that the Whale Chart is already a reference point for the shipping industry and that the goal is for the information, by being easier to use, to be incorporated into more decisions and voyages in order to drive greater action in favor of whale protection.
Integration into the Ocean Data Platform
The Whale Chart and all its underlying datasets are now available on HUB Ocean's Ocean Data Platform, an open, cloud-based geospatial platform that turns ocean data into actionable information. This allows the tool to be explored alongside other datasets, such as marine protected areas, to support decisions made by mariners, operators, governments, and researchers. Along with the digital launch, the WSC published the fourth edition of the physical Whale Chart handbook, which offers a concise regional overview of protection measures.
Collision risk and whale migration routes
Sources indicate that whales cross national borders and traverse some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. When vessel traffic and whale activity overlap, separating ships from the animals through routing measures is considered the most effective way to reduce the risk of collision; when such separation is not possible, measures such as speed reduction help lower both the likelihood and severity of strikes, in addition to reducing underwater noise.
The launch event
The unveiling of the digital version took place at Wallenius Wilhelmsen's headquarters in Lysaker, where Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council, spoke at the launch event for the digital whale chart.
