South Africa’s Whale beachings – The possible link to lethal Military Sonar…

[Here is an article one of my friends found on the subject of the link between military sonar and animals. Again, I pose the question: Was some kind of military activity – secret military activity – most likely by a Western power – off the coast of South Africa the cause of the mass beachings? Jan]

[Please also see S.Africa: The Mystery of the many beached whales - what nobody mentions... which is Jan's article on the beachings and what he mentions about military stuff. Gairk]

Lethal Sounds

The use of military sonar poses a deadly threat to whales and other marine mammals. Whale Strandings.

Numerous mass strandings and whale deaths across the globe have been linked to military sonar use.

- January 2006 At least four beaked whales strand in the Gulf of Almeria, Spain, while sonar exercises take place offshore.
- January 2005 At least 34 whales of three species strand along the Outer Banks of North Carolina as Navy sonar training goes on offshore.
- July 2004 Four beaked whales strand during naval exercises near the Canary Islands.
- July 2004 Approximately 200 melon-headed whales crowd into the shallow waters of Hanalei Bay in Hawaii as a large Navy sonar exercise takes place nearby. Rescuers succeed in directing all but one of the whales back out to sea.
- June 2004 As many as six beaked whales strand during a Navy sonar training exercise off Alaska.
- May 2003 As many as 11 harbor porpoises beach along the shores of the Haro Strait, Washington State, as the USS Shoup tests its mid-frequency sonar system.
- September 2002 At least 14 beaked whales from three different species strand in the Canary Islands during an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the area.
Four additional beaked whales strand over the next several days.
- May 2000 Three beaked whales strand on the beaches of Madeira during NATO naval exercises near shore.
- October 1999 Four beaked whales strand in the U.S. Virgin Islands during Navy maneuvers offshore.
- October 1997 At least nine Cuvier’s beaked whales strand in the Ionian Sea, with military activity reported in the area.
- May 1996 Twelve Cuvier's beaked whales strand on the west coast of Greece as NATO ships sweep the area with low- and mid-frequency active sonar.
- October 1989 At least 20 whales of three species strand during naval exercises near the Canary Islands.
- December 1991 Two Cuvier's beaked whales strand during naval exercises near the Canary Islands.

Whales and other marine mammals rely on their hearing for life's most basic functions, such as orientation and communication. Sound is how they find food, find friends, find a mate, and find their way through the world every day.

So when a sound thousands of times more powerful than a jet engine fills their ears, the results can be devastating -- and even deadly.

This is the reality that whales and other marine mammals face because of human-caused noise in the ocean, whether it's the sound of airguns used in oil exploration or subs and ships emitting sonar. Manmade sound waves can drown out the noises that marine mammals rely on for their very survival, causing serious injury and even death.

6 October 2008

Source Url: http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/marine/sonar.asp

Posted By: Gairk
*AfricanCrisis Volunteer*

Date Posted: Friday 12-Jun-2009
I've got a possible scenario for you...

Recently I came across a site that reported directly to the pentagon - on scientific teams who do work within the HAARP program. The info that is relevant, is they were referring to using the device to communicate with submarines...

Steve
Australia