OCEAN CITY, MD - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries announced it will extend the voluntary Slow Zone for boaters.
NOAA asks mariners to avoid the Slow Zone or travel at 10 knots or less to ensure the whales’ safety. The new slow zones are expected to expire April May 11th.
The waters are bounded by:
NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38' N
SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58' N
EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13' W
WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04' W
NOAA says the Ocean City Buoy operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and University of Maryland first detected the whales on Nov. 20.
The administration establishes an annual Mid-Atlantic Seasonal Management Area off the coast of Delmarva and Southern New Jersey in accordance with right whale migration. When the whales are detected outside of the Management Areas, an additional Dynamic Management Area or Acoustic Slow Zone may be established.
North Atlantic right whales are an endangered species at a heightened risk of being struck by vessels, a primary threat to the marine mammals, according to NOAA. The Administration warns they can be difficult to spot from boats due to their lack of a dorsal fin and dark color.
More information on the Right Whale Slow Zone, as well as other Slow Zones on the Atlantic coast, can be found at the NOAA Fisheries website.
