Biologists get health assessment of ailing whale
Apr/30/16 08:23 PM
Late this afternoon, biologists from WA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Marine Mammal Investigations and Cascadia Research Collective, members of NOAA’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network (MMSN), were able to get health assessment video of the gray whale languishing in Puget Sound. Once again, Seal Sitters MMSN volunteers provided real-time tracking of the whale’s whereabouts.
NOAA MMSN will be issuing a media statement regarding the gray, which Seal Sitters will share here upon its release.
It is imperative that ALL watercraft stay a minimum of 100 yards from this whale, including paddle boarders and kayakers. Please stay back. Vessels too close will cause undue stress for this ailing whale, protected by Federal law - the Marine Mammal Protection Act - from harassment. Violations will be reported to NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement.
The stranding network has been able to monitor the location of the whale since its first sighting late last week, keeping the Coast Guard updated so that alerts can be issued when the whale drifts into the very dangerous shipping lane. Timely reports from the public have played a large role in enabling this on-going team effort by the various members of NOAA’s West Coast MMSN.
NOAA MMSN will be issuing a media statement regarding the gray, which Seal Sitters will share here upon its release.
It is imperative that ALL watercraft stay a minimum of 100 yards from this whale, including paddle boarders and kayakers. Please stay back. Vessels too close will cause undue stress for this ailing whale, protected by Federal law - the Marine Mammal Protection Act - from harassment. Violations will be reported to NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement.
The stranding network has been able to monitor the location of the whale since its first sighting late last week, keeping the Coast Guard updated so that alerts can be issued when the whale drifts into the very dangerous shipping lane. Timely reports from the public have played a large role in enabling this on-going team effort by the various members of NOAA’s West Coast MMSN.
