Restrictions to save the right whale overdue

A spiritual encounter with right whales

I was very happy to see the Dec. 13th editorial “Saving right whales may require state fishermen to make sacrifices.” North Atlantic right whales have had a rocky history with humans. As the editorial noted, they were named “right” because they were easy to hunt. Easy to hunt because they swim close to the Shore, they swim slowly, and they float when dead. They were the “perfect” target for whalers and almost hunted to extinction in the early part of the 20th century. There were less than 100 left in 1935 when a hunting ban was put in place to protect them. They were thought to be extinct when several were spotted in Cape Cod Bay in 1950.

I was fortunate enough to see many of them in 2016 when about half of the world’s remaining population of 450 at that time, were just off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts. I saw my first right whale from a distance as I hiked the dunes and reached the top of the last dune obstructing the ocean view. I knew immediately it was a right whale because of the “V” stream of spray “blowing” from its head. Soon, I saw there were at least a dozen whales only 25 to 50 yards from the shoreline. They were majestic, moving seemingly in sync, parallel to the Shore. They were feeding on copepods, straining gallons upon gallons of water through their baleen.

As I got closer to the water’s edge, I saw many more. The sight reminded me of lawn mowers moving back and forth cutting the grass in a steady rhythmic motion, except there was no sound. They passed one another repeatedly, like the proverbial “ships in the night,” never colliding. Like other baleen whales, right whales have double blow holes to breathe, but their blow holes are farther apart than most baleen whales, so when they “blow,” that V shape of spray appears, sometimes higher than 20 feet above the surface. Nothing had prepared me for what I felt that day; it was spiritual. I felt blessed to see them, knowing that I might not ever have the chance again. Many people may never even have a chance to see them, as they move ever closer to extinction.

Fishing gear and boat strikes are the most frequent causes of death and injuries to the right whales. Climate change has also damaged the food chain forcing them into more dangerous migration patterns. Whale deaths from entanglements and boat strikes are typically not immediate and often lead to prolonged suffering and slow torturous death. Several types of ropeless fishing gear are being considered to reduce entanglements, but these are not yet widely accepted or tested remedies. Slowing boats in critical areas during the whales’ migration period is a tested and effective way to reduce deaths. Why? Right whales swim close to the surface and do not have a dorsal fin, making them difficult to see, therefore ships traveling at higher speeds often do not have time to avoid hitting them. The whales are slow moving and cannot move quickly enough to get out of the way when fast moving ships approach.

The federal government has enacted regulations requiring larger ships to slow to 10 knots in critical ocean areas along the coast during the migration/calving season. Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservancy organization, states multiple studies show that right whale deaths from boat strikes are reduced by 80% to 90% when boats slow to 10 knots. While these regulations have made a difference, it has not been enough, and the population has continued to decline, with deaths outpacing births. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries has responded by proposing rule changes extending the restricted seasonal area, extending the length of the seasonal restrictions, and including smaller boats. These changes should significantly help.

They will also impose some new restrictions on Maryland boaters. Smaller charter boats (35 to 65 feet) would become subject to the 10-knot speed limit during the migration/calving season. This lower speed limit will significantly increase the time it takes the smaller charter boats to get to the offshore fishing grounds. The proposed period for Maryland water restrictions is from Nov. 1st through May 30th. Fortunately, the midst of the migration season is during the winter, the slowest time for deep sea fishing in Maryland.

Humans are the reason these animals are in danger of disappearing forever. Hopefully humans will find a way to change course and save these graceful, magnificent creatures.