MARINE MAMMALS: Right whale shuts down Cape Cod Canal

right-whale-sightings IMAGE: The above image illustrates the Cape Cod Canal right whale sighting marked as 1. The image at left shows a right whale with calf. Image by NOAA.

Earlier this week, the Cape Cod Canal was closed for several hours to allow a North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) safe passage through the canal. The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered species, and it is threatened by ship strikes. NOAA finally promulgated regulations to mitigate deadly interactions with cargo ships after some substantial foot dragging by the Bush Administration. Apparently, Vice President Dick Cheney’s office was instrumental in delaying the process. However, Senator John Kerry introduced legislation earlier this year (The Ship Strike Reduction Act of 2008), which required the “Bush Administration to finalize a rule establishing speed limits for specified vessels in migratory paths of North Atlantic right whales.” The North Atlantic right whale is so critically endangered that its population cannot sustain any loss of individuals, especially breeding females. From the Boston Globe:

It is relatively rare for a right whale to find its way into the canal. It only happens about once or twice a year, said Scott Landry, director of whale rescues at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.

“It just happens by chance. Most whale species tend to wander quite a bit,” said Landry. “Just because it was by the canal we don’t think there was something wrong. Wandering is a natural part of the whale.”

The 35-foot whale entered on the Cape Cod Bay side and it was escorted by a US Army Corps of Engineers boat through to the Buzzards Bay side of the canal.

The whale appeared unharmed, said Dave Carriuolo, a marine traffic controller with the Corps at the canal, and there were no significant delays in commercial traffic.

The whale was initially spotted around 9:30 this morning. The canal was closed at 1 p.m. and reopened at 3 p.m. said Carriuolo.

Ships must begin to slow down for North Atlantic right whales. From NOAA:

Ships in southeastern Atlantic and mid-Atlantic U.S. waters must slow down to protect endangered right whales starting this week.

A landmark regulation going into effect on Dec. 9 will require ships 65 feet or longer to travel at 10 knots or less in certain areas where right whales gather. These new speed restrictions will take effect in waters off New England beginning in January 2009 when whales begin gathering in this area as part of their annual migration. The goal is to reduce the chances ships will collide with whales, injuring or killing them.

With only 300 to 400 in existence, North Atlantic right whales are among the most endangered whales in the world. Their slow movements and time spent at the surface and near the coast make right whales highly vulnerable to being struck by ships, especially since shipping lanes into East Coast ports cut across their migration routes.

The 10-knot speed restriction will extend out to 20 nautical miles around major mid-Atlantic ports. According to NOAA researchers, about 83 percent of right whale sightings in the mid-Atlantic region occur within 20 nautical miles of shore. The speed restriction also applies in waters off New England and the southeastern U.S., where whales gather seasonally.

The speed restrictions apply in the following approximate locations at the following times; they are based on times whales are known to be in these areas:

Southeastern U.S. from St. Augustine, Fla. to Brunswick, Ga. from Nov. 15 to April 15
Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas from Rhode Island to Georgia from Nov. 1 to April 30
Cape Cod Bay from Jan. 1 to May 15
Off Race Point at northern end of Cape Cod from March 1 to April 30
Great South Channel of New England from April 1 to July 31

NOAA also will call for temporary voluntary speed limits in other areas or times when a group of three or more right whales is confirmed. Scientists will assess whether the speed restrictions are effective before the rule expires in 2013.

On the Net:

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::