Offshore staff
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia --WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) claims that the Sakhalin II project is driving endangered Western gray whales from their only known feeding area.
Installation of the PA-B platform installation 12-km (7.46-mi) offshore has caused constant high noise levels underwater for over two days, says WWF. Its monitoring team says it felt the vibrations at their base onshore Sakhalin Island.
WWF believes the ships involved in the installation emitted low frequency noise that may have affected the feeding pattern of the whales, affecting their auditory system, which is critical for their orientation capability. They are normally seen feeding close to the shore.
The project operator's most recent summary data for the past weekend showed average hourly noise levels of around 120dB, which WWF says would have caused problems for the whales in terms either of noise levels or duration. It called for operations to be halted while this impact is investigated.
07/05/2007
