Featured Image Credit: Screenshot
By Laura O’Brien
A San Diego Whale Watch tour witnessed a dangerous and dramatic encounter that was a bit more than they bargained for this Tuesday. The group was observing a mother gray whale and her baby when things took a frightening turn. A speedboat blazed over the whales; nearly killing the calf and separating it from its mother in the commotion.
A San Diego Whale Watch captain, Cristin Kelly, said, “it was actually really kind of frightening to see the calf so far from its mother. The mother was swimming around looking for it not able to find it for several minutes”. According to Kelly, the calf sought shelter under their boat until the mother finally found it. The whales did not appear to have been injured and swam away together after they reunited.
Boat strikes pose a major threat to marine mammals, so safe boating practices are vital to conserving ocean wildlife. The Marine Mammal Protection Act is one of many regulations that are meant to help conserve marine mammals.
That particular act states that large marine mammals may be observed only from a distance of 100 feet or more. Failure to adhere to the rule can result in a $10,000 fine, other monetary penalties, and even imprisonment.
Learn more from our source.