Orca Whale Regulations

Here is a letter that we sent to NOAA regarding the changes they wish to make in whale watching regulations around the San Juan Islands. If you too would like to see the regulations stay at 100 yards, the precautionary distance (and not a proposed150, 200, 300 or 400 yards) write to orca.plan@noaa.gov. by January 15, 2010.

To: NOAA

RE: Orca Regulations

January 13, 2010

I am reluctant to get excited about the surge of new orca calves, but I feel compelled to state the obvious.

Do you really believe now that boats have any thing to do with past declines in orca numbers?

Using the “science” you have shown me so far, we must now believe the more the orcas are watched, the more babies they will have.

It also seems that you are making decisions based on data collected five years ago which is currently not valid do to new state regulations in place.

What we need is more enforcement and

1. Vessels may not negligently be within 100 meters of the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW)
2. Vessels must avoid the established path of SRKW
3. Vessels must obey a 7 knot speed restriction year round from Eagle Point to Mitchell Point, along San Juan Island, out ½ mile

Anything imposed on the whale watching industry over the above, is not supported by science, isn’t rational and would be over reaching with no up side for the orcas.

Bill Wright

San Juan Safaris

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