Ocean Conservation Group WILDCOAST Launches "Protect the Locals" Campaign Calling for Responsible and Safe Whale Watching
05 Agosto 2024 - 4:46PM
Business Wire
“Wild West” Approach Endangers Sea Life in
California and Beyond
WILDCOAST has announced Protect the Locals, a new campaign aimed
at raising awareness for and promoting whale watching best
practices in California – and beyond – amid a rise in tour activity
and increasingly disruptive boating behavior.
As part of the campaign, WILDCOAST is releasing Protect the
Locals: Responsible Whale Watching with WILDCOAST, an educational
short film on responsible whale watching produced by Nautilus
Studios. The video features WILDCOAST Executive Director Serge
Dedina, Ph.D., and Captain Russell Moore, Owner & Operator of
Xplore Offshore, as they explore the significance of the current
threats to whales and how visitors and locals can make a positive
difference for marine mammals while viewing them responsibly.
In addition, Dedina, Moore, and former NOAA biologist Heidi
Dewar, Ph.D., share the importance of abiding by best
whale-watching practices in an opinion editorial in the San Diego
Union-Tribune.
Historically, many marine mammal species have faced endangerment
due to hunting, habitat destruction, bycatch entanglement, ship
strikes, and other human interference. Thus many agencies have
established protections in growing recognition of the importance of
these complex ecosystems and wildlife such as the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972.
Although the MMPA states that vessels must remain at least
100 yards away from whales at all times, there has been a
recent uptick of boats in violation of this, with some tour vessels
even going as far as to steer over whales in order to get as close
as possible for Instagram shots. This behavior creates an extremely
stressful environment for these larger-than-life creatures,
creating noise pollution, chemical fuel pollution, displacement,
interruption of feeding, and boat strikes – all of which have a
serious and direct impact on the health and lifespan of these
animals, sometimes resulting in death.
With the increase in whale watching tours deploying daily
combined with increased competitive pressure, whales and other
marine mammals have been increasingly subjected to these
human-related stressors.
Captain Russell said, "At times, it is like the Wild West in the
waters off San Diego with myriad whale watching outfitters
operating with zero supervision. These magnificent creatures
deserve better protection and respect from humans."
Serge Dedina adds, "WILDCOAST is calling on tour operators and
visitors alike to give these animals a break, keep a safe distance,
and enjoy the experience – but let's all practice safe and
responsible whale watching."
About WILDCOAST
WILDCOAST is an international team of ground-level
conservationists based in California and Mexico. WILDCOAST has
helped to conserve and manage 38 million acres of some of the most
important coral reefs, sea turtle nesting beaches, mangrove
forests, wildlands, whale breeding lagoons, and wetlands on the
planet. We are defenders of the ocean and fight climate change with
natural solutions.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240805952438/en/
Annelise Tappe, WILDCOAST 925-588-8278
annelise@wildcoast.org