Law sets buffer zone for boats near whales

H A L I FA X • Ottawa will impose new regulations Wednesday that will require boats to keep a healthy distance from marine mammals, just as two inquisitive beluga whales have been drawing onlookers into waters off a Cape Breton beach in encounters experts say could jeopardize the highly social animals.

Corey Webster, a federal Fisheries conservation and protection official, said the new Marine Mammal rules require vessels to stay 100 metres from marine mammals in Canadian waters. The new provision gives regulatory weight to existing guidelines that previously recommended a 100-metre buffer zone.

“The amendments aren’t intended to control whether or not whales approach vessels closely,” he said in an interview in Halifax. “It’s just that we don’t want vessels going out and harassing the whales in terms of chasing them down or separating a mother and calf.”

He wouldn’t reveal possible penalties for infractions, saying only that they would be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The announcement comes — coincidentally, Webster said — as people continued to flock to an area off Ingonish Beach to see two playful belugas that have been cruising the waters near the shoreline for about a week. The pair, which appear to be a juvenile and young adult, have been captivating locals and tourists for days, with some onlookers getting into the water to swim with them.

Videos and photos on social media sites show boats and kayaks surrounding the whales as they bob to the surface, coming within reach of the various vessels.