As the Whale Watching Season jumps into high gear, three new additions are made to the growing list of Whale Watching Companies participating in WhaleSENSE, a multi-cooperation project joining those dedicated to sustaining a healthy and long future for Whales. This year, Yankee Fleet in Gloucester, Mass., Starflight Fleet in Wildwood Crest, N.J. and Cape May Whale and Dolphin Watch Research Center in Cape May, N.J. are the newest whale watching community members of the WhaleSENSE team. Â
Whales are protected with Federal statutes and regulations that attempt to lessen the dangers that human activities pose to them, but many are still injured or killed by entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with water vessels. The participation of whale watching companies in WhaleSENSE is fundamental to their effort to promote responsible whale watching and protect the whale species that call Northeastern waters home. WhaleSENSE members of the Whale Watching Industry commit to using responsible viewing practices, providing customers with a high standard of education, and endorsing ocean conservation. Whale Watching Vessels also play an essential role in reporting injured or sick whales.
By recognizing the whale watching companies that operate in environmentally responsible ways, WhaleSENSE hopes to bring the majority of customer business in the whale watch industry to these fleets. In addition, annual trainings on whale watching guidelines and regulations, safe operations, and whale ecology add to the whale watch experience by enhancing customer’s knowledge and respect for the whales and their environment. Through a common effort to ensure the continued safety of whales, the WhaleSENSE community creates a “win-win” situation for everyone-the whale watch companies, their costumers, and most importantly, the whales. To hear more about the Whale Watching Industries Involvement in WhaleSENSE read the News Story from Northeast Regional Office and to read more on WhaleSENSE’s mission visit them online.