OCEAN CITY, Md. - Boaters near Ocean City are being asked to slow down after endangered right whales were detected in the nearby waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have established a Right Whale Slow Zone effective through April 22nd.
The zone is used to notify vessel operators to slow down to avoid the whales, according to NOAA Fisheries. Maintaining speeds of 10 knots or less can help protect the animals from collision, and the zone remains in effect for a period of 15 days after a whale is detected.
According to NOAA Fisheries, the estimated population of the North Atlantic right whale is fewer than 350 individuals with fewer than 70 breeding females. Vessel strikes are a major threat to the whales due to their habitat and migration routes being close to major ports along the Atlantic coastline.
The current zone coordinates east of Ocean City are as follows:
.East of Ocean City, MD Acoustic Slow Zone: Effective April 7-April 22, 2023
Waters bounded by:
NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38' N
SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58' N
EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13' W
WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04' W
Boaters can also check for Right Whale Slow Zones on NOAA Fisheries’ online right whale sightings map. The free Whale Alert App can also be downloaded and will notify you upon entering a Slow Zone.
