The Santa Barbara Zoo has become the first accredited zoo in the U.S. to join the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program, which works with shipping companies to reduce whale strikes and air pollution along the California coast.
- About 80 whales are fatally struck by ships each year off the U.S. West Coast.
- The program encourages ships to slow to 10 knots or less in whale habitats, reducing fatal strike risk by about 40%. - The zoo will educate its nearly 500,000 annual visitors on the link between consumer choices and whale conservation.
- Since 2014, over 76 shipping companies have voluntarily slowed across more than 2 million nautical miles of California waters. The partnership highlights how everyday purchasing decisions can help protect endangered whales and improve community health.