Right whales migrate along busy shipping corridors to coastal Florida and Georgia to give birth in the winter.
Seasonal speed zones to protect the whales are in effect off major ports in the mid-Atlantic, including Chesapeake Bay through April 30. Vessels longer than 65 feet are required to travel at 10 knots or less. NOAA has proposed a rule to include vessels 35 feet long and to expand the zones and timing of seasonal speed restrictions.
Oceana filed a petition in December asking NOAA for an emergency rule mirroring its proposal but the petition was denied.
A few days later, an aggregation of seven right whales was seen just outside the zone in Chesapeake Bay, Brogan said. “To have a whale turn up dead just three weeks after we pointed out that aggregation is disappointing but not surprising.”