Spain tells ships to avoid whales

The Spanish navy has advised ships in the Strait of Gibraltar to slow down to avoid hitting whales.

A marine biologist working in the area says it is the first initiative of its kind in the Mediterranean.

Fast ferries pose a particular danger for whales, said Renaud de Stephanis. The speed limit has been set at 13 knots (15mph; 24km/h).

Dozens of sperm whales flock to the busy strait to eat squid. It is also the habitat of about 260 pilot whales.

The strait is one of the world's busiest maritime lanes and every year several whales are hit by ships that do not see them or fail to change course. No accurate figures are available because usually the injured whales are not tracked and the currents are strong.

Mr De Stephanis, at the Cadiz-based Centre for Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans, voiced hope that the navy's advice would raise whale awareness among crews.

"If they're not going to slow down, at least they may go a little bit to the right, a little bit to the left," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

Conservation groups say six pilot whales have been found dead on Andalusian beaches since November - a higher figure than normal, Spanish media report. They are believed to have died from pollution.