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03/18/2005: "Controversy Over Report On Sonar Testing"

USS SHOUP - The Navy Ship Used To Test Sonar In 2003

The report issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service Office is already under fire from the academic world and environmentalists. The report makes statements as to the extent, if any, that sonar testing has had on sea life. The USS SHOUP (shown above) tested sonar in the our waters in 2003. The levels of the sound generated by the sonar have been estimated to be 500 times louder than the normal levels found in the waters, and there were reports by our local experts, Dr. Osborne and Mr. Balcomb, of unusual behavior by some of the whales. This is in contrast to the Navy experts, while not present at the time of the testing, did review tapes of the whale behavior and found the behavior to be "within the species normal range".

With respect to the impact on the whales, the report concludes that "The long-term biological significance of auditory masking resulting from sonar exposure was likely minimal, considering the relatively brief duration (just over three hours) of exposure". The report is silent on the possibility of what damage might result to land based mammals (e.g. homo sapiens) exposed to music for three hours that is 500 times louder than normal, nor does it quantify the possible importance of what the psychological impact would be in the absence of an understandable reason for the sudden occurrence of "noise" at such levels and duration.

The final conclusion of the report states:

"Whether behavioral reaction to the 5 May 2003 sonar transmissions was responsible for strandings of harbor porpoise in the area over the following days is unknown". If it is known to the whales or not, is also unknown at this time.