Not-so-super
Hawaii Superferry’s Terry O’Halloran ignored requests to have underwater noise measurements made to determine how fast the Superferry could go without causing behavior harassment to various marine mammals. A technical paper with relevant data on underwater noise shows that the Hawaii Superferry will likely harass humpback whales within 1,000 yards.
This means potentially disrupting behavioral patterns including migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering and is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is also possible that the noise level from the Hawaii Superferry could be high enough to cause direct hearing damage to various marine mammals.
It is essential that skilled sub-contractors take the time to:
1) Measure the Superferry’s underwater noise level at at least three speeds.
2) Determine what speed the Superferry can safely travel without exhibiting Level B harassment from noise.
3) Determine how close Hawaii Superferry can come to a whale without causing hearing injury from noise.
4) Evaluate marine mammal harassment by noise at different distances from Superferry’s course for various species.
These measurements and evaluation need to be made soon in order to minimize the noise impact by establishing a safe speed of the Superferry with respect to noise.
Marjorie and Duane Erway
Kailua-Kona
Editor’s Note: A state Supreme Court ruling Monday deemed unconstitutional a law allowing Superferry to operate pending completion of its environmental impact assessment. The ferry will suspend service after completing its Thursday schedule.
