World Shipping Council Launches Digital Whale Chart for Safer Shipping and Marine Protection
The World Shipping Council (WSC), in partnership with HUB Ocean, has launched a digital version of its WSC Whale Chart, giving the global shipping industry easier access to information on measures designed to protect whales from vessels and strengthen maritime safety and environmental protection.
Launched on 7 October 2026, the digital Whale Chart brings together mandatory and voluntary government measures, including ship speed restrictions, vessel routing measures, areas to be avoided and controls addressing underwater radiated noise. For mariners and ship operators, bringing this information into digital voyage-planning tools can make it easier to identify whale-sensitive areas and determine where changes in vessel speed or route could reduce the risk of whale strikes.
The original WSC Whale Chart was launched in 2023 as the first global mapping of known mandatory and voluntary government measures aimed at reducing harm to whales from vessels. The new digital version makes the information easier to explore, update and connect with digital tools and operational systems used in modern vessel operations.
“Mariners operate across many different jurisdictions, and the measures in place to protect whales vary from country to country and region to region. Bringing this information together digitally and making it available to mariners on the bridges of the ships they are navigating makes it easier to use in voyage planning and helps crews see where changing course or slowing down can make a real difference,” said Joe Kramek, President & CEO of the World Shipping Council.
Kimberly Mathisen, CEO of HUB Ocean, said the Whale Chart had already become an important reference point for the shipping industry. She said making the information easier to use could help incorporate whale protection into more decisions and voyages, ultimately supporting greater action to protect whales.
The digital Whale Chart and its underlying datasets are now available through HUB Ocean’s Ocean Data Platform, an open, cloud-based geospatial platform that turns ocean data into insight and action.
The integration of the Whale Chart with the platform also allows users to examine whale-protection measures alongside other authoritative ocean datasets, including marine protected areas and other ocean intelligence layers. This can provide mariners, ship operators, governments and researchers with a broader picture of environmental conditions and regulatory requirements when assessing specific maritime routes.
Alongside the digital platform, WSC has released the fourth edition of its WSC Whale Chart handbook, providing a regional overview of whale-protection measures. The handbook offers a quick reference, while the digital chart provides more detailed and searchable information for specific voyage areas.
Whales travel across national boundaries and through some of the world’s busiest shipping routes. When commercial vessel traffic overlaps with areas of whale activity, separating ships from whales is the most effective way to reduce the risk of collisions. Where route separation is not possible, reducing vessel speed can lower the risk and potential severity of ship strikes, while also helping to limit underwater noise.
The digital chart reflects the growing importance of ocean data, maritime technology and geospatial intelligence in supporting responsible vessel operations. By placing whale-protection measures alongside other marine information, the platform can help connect environmental protection with practical decisions made during voyage planning.
For the marine conservation community, the initiative also provides a more accessible way to understand how shipping routes interact with whale habitats and other environmentally sensitive areas. For ship operators and maritime authorities, updated digital information can support more informed decisions about routing, speed and operational practices.
WSC said it will continue updating the Whale Chart as measures change and new information becomes available. The ongoing updates are intended to help the maritime industry access current information when planning voyages and operating vessels in areas where shipping activity and whale populations overlap.
The digital WSC Whale Chart is available through HUB Ocean’s Ocean Data Platform, while a preview is available on WSC’s Whales webpage.
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