Sonar and Orca Whales (the Navy ... more)

By the way, OrcaNetwork repported: all the Transients that were ID'd in the Strait of Juan de Fuca the day of the sonar exercises were back again today off Dungeness Lighthouse


From Fox News: April 10, 2009

A group of Port Townsend residents gathered to talk about Naval activities in the area around the Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Hydrophones in the water recently picked up human voices and sonar from the USS San Francisco.
The Navy confirmed the submarine was doing some training and communicating with a nearby boat.
Local Orca advocates say several whales had been seen in the area earlier that day.

They say sonar can confuse and upset whales causing erratic behavior and other problems for sea-life.
The Navy says they do try to protect killer whales and take precautions not to upset the animals.
The Navy would like to expand their training along the coasts of Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
Advocates against it worry it could cause further damage to animals in the area.
They suggest the Navy limit their use of sonar, move operations out into deeper waters or spend more time making sure whales are not in the area.
The National Marine Fisheries will accept public comment on the Navy's request until April 13th.

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