NAVAREA I + HYDROLANT · 20 FEB 2026
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Legend
Hazardous Operations
Drilling Rigs (toggle)
Whale Strandings
From Feeding → Breeding (south)
To Feeding Grounds (north)
"Wrong Turn" into North Sea
Arctic Feeding Grounds
Breeding Area (<45°N)
Notices / Comms
🐋 Strandings — 20 Feb 2026
5 sperm whales stranded at Fanø/Skallingen on 20 Feb 2026. At least one showing signs of life. Authorities cordoned the area. Environment Min. Heunicke urged public to stay away. [4]
🐋 Stranding × 2
Skallingen
Peninsula, SW Jutland
🐋 Stranding × 2
Søren Jessens Sand
Sandbank at tip of Skallingen
🐋 Stranding × 1
Sønderho, Fanø
Southern Fanø island
Migration Cycle — Male Sperm Whales
Males cycle between Arctic feeding grounds (69–80°N) and tropical breeding areas (<45°N). Total round trip: 175–180 days, ~17,000 km. No fixed breeding season — departures Jan–Oct. Peak North Sea stranding risk in winter (Dec–Feb). [1][2]
↓ From Feeding → Breeding Grounds
Southward Migration
Arctic Norway/Svalbard → SW through Iceland–Faroes–Shetland corridor → tropics
📅 Departures: Jan–Oct (asynchronous)
⏱ ~40 ± 11 days · ~5,500 km · 4.7 km/h
📖 [1]
⏱ ~40 ± 11 days · ~5,500 km · 4.7 km/h
📖 [1]
🌊 Breeding Area Residence
Tropical Atlantic (<45°N)
Males roam >10 million km². Canaries → Cape Verde → Caribbean → Brazil. Still diving >1,000m (unusual — most whales fast during breeding).
📅 Residence: ~76 ± 22 days
📅 Peak mating: Mar–Jun (but occurs year-round)
📖 [1]
📅 Peak mating: Mar–Jun (but occurs year-round)
📖 [1]
↑ To Feeding Grounds (Return North)
Northward Migration
Breeding areas → NE back to Arctic. Return route offset east of outward track.
📅 After ~76 days breeding
⏱ Full round trip: 175–180 days
📏 Total: 16,332–17,669 km
📖 [1] (2 whales tracked full cycle)
⏱ Full round trip: 175–180 days
📏 Total: 16,332–17,669 km
📖 [1] (2 whales tracked full cycle)
⚠ "Wrong Turn" → North Sea
Stranding Trap
Males go east of Shetland instead of west. Southern North Sea <40m — too shallow for deep-divers. Global stranding hotspot.
📅 Peak: Dec–Feb (southward season)
⚠ 2016: 30 whales, 5 countries, 6 weeks [2]
⚠ 2026: 5 at Fanø + 1 at Ålbæk (ghost net) [4][5]
📖 [2][4][5]
⚠ 2016: 30 whales, 5 countries, 6 weeks [2]
⚠ 2026: 5 at Fanø + 1 at Ålbæk (ghost net) [4][5]
📖 [2][4][5]
Active NAVAREA Warnings
⚠ Hazardous Ops A
W of Scotland — 23 NM
📅 12–21 Feb 2026 · HYDROLANT 269/26
⚠ Hazardous Ops B
W of Scotland — 22 NM
📅 12–21 Feb 2026 · HYDROLANT 269/26
🛡 Safety Zone
Minerva Gas Field — 500m
NAVAREA I 6/26 · Permanent
ℹ Buoy Removed
East Cardinal — 54°30.9'N 002°36.3'E
NAVAREA I 16/26 · Permanent
📡 Comms Off Air
Lerwick · Gregness · Cullercoats · Bawdsey
NAVAREA I 32/26 · 18 Feb 2026
Drilling Rigs — NAVAREA I 31/26
40 rigs (correct 16 Feb 2026)
📚 References
[1] Lydersen C, Blanchet M-A, Kovacs KM, et al. (2025). Migration to breeding areas by male sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus from the NE Atlantic Arctic. Sci Rep 15:7861. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-91266-8
[2] IJsseldijk LL, van Neer A, Deaville R, et al. (2018). Beached bachelors: largest recorded sperm whale mortality event in the North Sea. PLOS ONE 13(8):e0201221. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0201221
[3] Lefort KJ, et al. (2022). Satellite-tracked sperm whale migrates from Canadian Arctic to subtropical western North Atlantic. Mar Mamm Sci 38(4):1242–1248. doi:10.1111/mms.12927
[4] Copenhagen Post (20 Feb 2026). Four sperm whales stranded near Fanø. cphpost.dk
[5] The Danish Dream (12 Feb 2026). Jaw removed illegally from stranded sperm whale. Re: Ålbæk stranding 7 Feb — autopsy found 12 kg fishing net in esophagus. thedanishdream.com
[6] Herlingshaw LF, et al. (2024). High Arctic hotspots for sperm whales off Svalbard via Passive Acoustic Monitoring. Sci Rep 14:5607. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-56287-9