I think the whale rules must have been lobbied by the same people who live in a condo over looking Lake Washington that want to go to Winthrop to see wolves.
I like the idea of protecting whales, they are a great creature, but my experience with a lot of them on the water here, in B.C. and ten years in SE Alaska is that they are really smart. I got real close to humpbacks dozens of times, and they just don't care. Orcas swam near my boat on the prowl. One swam under and rolled over and looked at me, I swear.
Save the whales, but don't promulgate ridiculous laws that won't work. We'd be better off getting rid of a bunch of pinnnipeds and crank out more hatchery fish to feed and restore orcas than a make believe thousand yard buffer.