‘Whale Sense’ Provides Best Practices to Local Whale Watching Fleets

FILE – In this April 10, 2008 file photo, a North Atlantic right whale dives in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, Mass. The endangered whales increasingly are frequenting the bay, enticed by the fine dining possibilities of its plankton-rich waters. They foraged in the bay for centuries, where their numbers were decimated when whalers hunted them for their oil and plastic-like baleen bone. For a stretch in the late 1990s, fewer than 30 whales were sighted each year. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

BARNSTABLE – A program recently recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency focuses on providing whale watching fleets around the country with a set of guidelines meant to increase whale safety.

While whales cycle through Cape Cod waters, they are at risk of being struck by boats or, worse, boat propellers.

But an organization called Whale SENSE has already enrolled 18 whale watching companies in a voluntary best practice program.

These companies use the tenements of keeping a safe distance, using lower speeds and communicating with other vessels to prevent their outings from interrupting whale behavior.

Most recently, Boston Harbor Cruises/New England Aquarium Whale Watches have been enrolled into the program.

All whales in U.S. waters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The organization encourages customers to ensure their chosen fleet is Whale SENSE certified.