A new study published in the journal Plos One has stated that the endangered species blue whales cluster together in shipping lanes, and this puts them at great risk of colliding with the gigantic vessels.

For this study, researchers had determined the common travel habits of 171 whales by tracking them down for over a period of 15 years. It was found that almost one-fourth of the entire population resides in West Coast waters, near the shipping lanes. Particularly two areas where these whales assemble have been identified. Both these areas are rich feeding areas and are crossed by shipping lanes off the California coast.

Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth that can reach a length of more than 100 feet and a weight of more than 150 tons. They have been labeled as endangered species and so international regulations prohibit hunting them.

Summer is the time when the maximum whale-ship interactions take place as that is the time when whales' need to maximize their food intake and eat as much as much as they can before they migrate in the early fall months.

Considering the size of these mammals, their speed in the water is very less, therefore they don't get much time to move away in case they find themselves stuck in the pathway of a vessel. So, there was a discussion on rerouting of the shipping lanes, but other than this, there is much more research and discussion that needs to be done in attempt to reduce the whale-ship interactions.

Ladd Irvine, a marine mammal ecologist at Oregon State University, led the study. He said, "The blue whales need to find the densest food supply. There's a limited number of those dense places, and it seems as though two of the main regular spots are crossed by the shipping lanes".