The Atlantic Whale deal project, supported by Interreg Atlantic Area programme, invested in a new technology to help prevent ship-whale collisions. The key is a thermal imaging camera developed by SEA.AI has just arrived at CIIMAR in Porto and is ready to be installed on a cargo vessel departing from Porto this summer.
This pilot will test the effectiveness of thermal detection systems in detecting whales in real-time, particularly in low-visibility conditions such as fog or darkness. The results will help assess whether this technology can be used more widely across different types of vessels and longer maritime routes.
The trial builds on experience from the Canary Islands, where similar systems are already being used on high-speed ferries. Expanding this approach to cargo ships could be an important step toward reducing ship strikes.
The focus of the project is reducing the risk of ship-whale collisions across busy Atlantic Shipping routes. It is coordinated by the Portuguese institution ARDITI - Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação in a transnational cooperation with universities and public entities from Portugal, Spain, France and Ireland.