Environment Society of Oman (ESO) has launched a new video on Arabian Sea Humpback Whales to raise awareness on the threats faced by critically endangered animals. The short film is made with an aim to conserve Oman?s Arabian Sea Humpback Whales. ?ESO decided to launch this video as a mechanism to raise awareness on the uniqueness of this population, and to advocate for its conservation among various industries including shipping and port developments,? Suaad Al Harthi, Programme Director of ESO told the Times of Oman.

ESO has been researching for 10 years on these humpback whales. The movie was produced over two months. She also said, ?through awareness raising of the fact that such magnificent species do exist in Oman and the need for their protection and the need for creating standard practices that contribute to the conservation efforts. The research includes boat based surveys, satellite tagging and acoustic monitoring to understand the population, distribution, abundance and behavior of these whales,? she said.


The movie highlights ESO?s efforts to protect the whales and the support from the public sector companies to minimise the dangers facing this species. The film also features the harmonious sounds and images of the Sultanate?s majestic sea creatures.

She asks the people of Oman to protect the endangered animals of the Sultanate.

?It?s important to understand that these species are dependent on sound so minimizing noise pollution is important. There are also habitats that are critical to these animals. It is important to identify such areas and stop development activities in such places. There are also threats posed by shipping and fishing activities that could cause entanglement and ship strikes so it?s important to raise awareness and develop guidelines to minimize these risks,? Al Harthi said.

The film can be found on ESO?s Media Channel on YouTube or click the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWofeL2RV-g