Activist group calls for San Juan whale protection zone
Credit: Victoria Marine Science Association
From MyNorthwest.com:
Activists are calling for a limited, whale protection zone off San Juan Island to help the declining local population of endangered orcas.
The protection zone could include a no-wake speed limit to cut noise and discourage whale watching boats that sometimes pursue orcas.
“They need more chance to rest and to socialize in a quieter environment,” said Bruce Stedman, executive director of Orca Relief Citizens Alliance. “But particularly, they need a quieter environment to hunt and that hunting is even more difficult when the salmon are as low as they are and have been for the last couple of years.”