Watch whales respectfully

MIKE WHITEHEAD

Ahoy.

Whale watching has arrived, and so have the squid. As I write this

column, Davey’s Locker is advertising live squid for their fishing

trips, just when I thought fishing had shut down for the season.

However, it might be a little rough this weekend to venture out of

the harbor for either activity. The swells are building, but I have

been having some of my best whale-watching experiences inside Newport

Harbor -- when a young gray whale decides to cruise through.

The National Weather Service has issued a marine statement warning

boaters and surfers of high surf today, with a west swell from 7 to 9

feet producing 8-foot surf with occasional 9-footers, especially on

west-facing beaches. Looks like the swells will drop a little Friday

night, then will build again through Sunday. So, all boaters,

passengers on whale-watching trips and those going deep-sea fishing

should check sea conditions before leaving the harbor.

Gray whales are migrating south this time of year, basically

December through March, but you might be lucky enough to spot an orca

or a blue whale, too. Remember, whales are warm-blooded,

air-breathing mammals that swim in pods, not schools.

Everyone should take a boat trip out to see the whales on their

migrating route, but there are regulations to protect whales from

over-excited or disrespectful boaters. The National Marine Fisheries

Service is the federal agency responsible for protecting the whales

with the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act. The regulations were

enacted to protect whales and other marine mammals from harassment,

and for safe, nondisruptive whale watching. I hope every boater

follows the general rules. You can report someone you see blatantly

disregarding the regulations.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act cites two levels of harassment

and prohibits hunting, capturing or killing any marine mammal. The

level A harassment is to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal

stock in the wild, and level B harassment is to disturb a marine

mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by disrupting behavioral

patterns.

I followed the information on the levels in an article titled

“Admire From A Distance ... For Your Safety and Their Protection.”

That is on the Internet at https:// www.nmfs.noaa. gov/prot_res/MM

Watch/MMViewing. html#guidelines.

Whether you’re a recreational boater or a commercial

whale-watching operator, everyone must abide by the rules (read

online at https://www.nmfs. noaa.gov/prot_res/MMWatch/ SW_EF.pdf). You

must try to stay 100 yards away from whales, and if a whale

approaches closer to your boat, then you must stop. While viewing a

pod, boaters shouldn’t operate at speeds faster than a whale or group

of whales, and boaters should maintain a constant speed while

paralleling. You should avoid following or approaching directly in

front of whales.

Also, boaters should do nothing to cause a whale to change

direction, separate from groups, or block a whale between your boat

and shore, such as a bay. In addition, aircraft pilots cannot fly

lower than 1,000 feet when within a 100-yard horizontal distance from

a whale.

Swimmers and divers cannot approach whales either, and never try

to feed a whale. Right whales have extra protection because they are

under a different category of the law, and the separation distance is

increased to maintain at least 500 yards. If you see a boater

deliberately harassing a whale, report the incident to the National

Marine Fisheries Service 24-hour hotline at (800) 853-1964 or your

local Coast Guard office. Every boater must be considerate to the

mammals because, remember, we are playing in their home.

Tune in to my “Boathouse Radio Show” this and every Sunday from 4

to 5 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170), or listen over the Internet at https://

www.boathouseradio.com. You can call in to the toll-free listener

line at (888) 344-1170 and join in on Southern California’s only

boating talk radio show, reaching up the coast from San Diego to

Oxnard and out to Santa Catalina Island.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send

him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by

e-mail to mike@boat housetv.com or visit https://www.boathousetv.com.