Drones ‘real threat’ to whales in B.C., tour operators say
West coast whale watchers are worried drone operators are flying too close to orcas.
With the season just beginning along the coast of B.C. and Washington, tour operators say untrained pilots put the endangered mammals at risk.
“We are very concerned about the increase of people using drones,” said Michael Harris, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, whose members include tour operators in Canada and the U.S.
“It’s a real threat — drones are not non-invasive.”
Harris said whale-watching guides have reported drones hovering too close to the protected southern resident pod of killer whales as well as other species. Low-flying drones are loud, and amateur pilots risk unintentionally striking the whales.
Guides have called to drone operators on the VHF radio to get them to stop, and have taken video footage of violators to turn over to authorities, Harris said.
“People don’t care sometimes,” he said. “They’re out there for one day, and they figure they’ll ask later for forgiveness.”
Transport Canada’s safety guidelines for recreational drone operators say drones should stay at least 150 metres away from animals. Researchers can apply for special permits to fly closer.
In the U.S., Harris said enforcing the law, which states that “vessels and other objects” can’t get closer than 200 yards to a killer whale, seems to fall between different levels of government, leaving a grey zone where drone operators can get away with the behaviour.
A Washington state commercial photographer recently fought a ticket for getting too close to a pod of orcas and won. The photographer’s lawyer argued that the law doesn’t specify drones.
“The only place for drones around marine mammals is for research,” Harris said. “We’re not anti-drone — I love drones, but they are not appropriate for whales.”
Lance Barrett-Lennard, head of the Vancouver Aquarium’s cetacean research program, uses a custom-built drone to conduct research on local whale populations; his team has a special permit to operate at closer range, but the device stays at least 100 feet away from the whales.
He said the team reviews the footage and watches for signs of behaviour change to ensure the drone isn’t causing concern.
“I am fairly convinced our drone is benign,” Barrett-Lennard said. “There is no evidence the whales are even aware of the drone at that height. I do have some reservations about the wholesale use of drones.”
He said whale watching tour operators have seen people flying their drones as close as 10 or 15 feet from whales.
“Lots of people want to fly drones — they’re flying all over the place, and a lot of people want to film whales,” Barrett-Lennard said. “I think people want to do the right thing. They just don’t know what it is.”
Brett Soberg, co-owner of Victoria-based Eagle Wing Tours, said he saw drones flying too close to southern resident whales several times last fall. The popularity of the devices may lead to more problems, but tour guides are quick to approach violators and report them to authorities.
“We’re out on the water every day and we are fairly diligent,” Soberg said. “There are a lot of eyes out there, and hopefully that may be enough to deter people.”