Study: Harbour porpoise react to high frequency vessel noise

Harbour porpoise surfaces off Whytecliff Park

A study recently published in Nature suggests that harbour porpoise react to high-frequency noise generated by vessels. In 27.5% of cases, the animals exposed to recorded vessel noise responded with what appeared to be avoidance behaviour.
Harbour porpoise inhabit shallow coastal waters where they are frequently exposed to vessel noise. While the effects of high-frequency noise have so far been largely overlooked, the authors conclude that vessel noise may indeed be a substantial source of disturbance for these small cetaceans.