Harassment Is Illegal
Harassment is defined as any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which has the potential to injure or disturb a marine mammal by interrupting/changing behavioral patterns such as migration, breathing, nursing, and feeding.
Even if you have good intentions, the operation of vessels around whales has the potential to harass them. Guidelines have been developed to help boaters (commercial & recreational) avoid harassing marine mammals and inadvertently violating the Violations of these laws can result in penalties such as fines and imprisonment. Marine mammals, such as whales, are large, wild animals, and adhering to the guidelines not only helps protect whales, but also helps keep boaters and their passengers safe. |
