I've done a lot of fishing around Henry Island, had a pod of KW's with several babies swim right next and under my boat...there must have been 15 or so, something I'll never forget. Did you see any?

A read of the link provided by "Keeper" was interesting. A part of the document is pasted below.

Public education on what is legal around marine mammals is not a bad thing, but it sounds to me like Soundwatch needs to do some training in how they make their contacts. It isn't clear to me what, if any authority they have to make contacts beyond their desire to "educate" boaters in the vicinity of orcas or other whales.

Keeper and Fishbadger - I concur with Leadbouncer - you need to send your contact information to Soundwatch. I'll also suggest that you cut and paste pertinent parts from their website and ask for their annual reports to see if their on the water contacts are having the desired results.


Project Objectives and Activities to Accomplish Them:

Soundwatch Boater Education Program Objectives and Activities:

Objective: Reinforce the learning experience in the actual context where marine wildlife and wildlife habitat disturbance takes place.

Key Activities:
1- Conduct on-the-water vessel patrols during the peak summer months (May-September) to intercept recreational boaters and paddlers before marine wildlife and wildlife habitat disturbances occur, give them guideline and law informational packets, and to interpret the wildlife and boating situation that they are encountering.

2- Conduct on-the-water vessel patrols (May-September) to assist the commercial marine wildlife viewing industry with vessel and paddling conduct around marine wildlife and wildlife habitat that is
consistent with guidelines and laws through vhf radio and cell phone communications.

3- Conduct on-the-water vessel patrols (May-September) to promote and encourage better boater behavior around marine wildlife and wildlife habitat through the presence of the Soundwatch patrol
vessel.

4-Conduct on-the-water vessel patrols (May-September) to record and report irresponsible boater behavior around protected wildlife and wildlife habitat to appropriate marine wildlife management
authorities.

Objective: Provide a scientific platform to monitor vessel activities.
Key Activities:
1-Conduct on-the-water vessel patrols to monitor whale and vessel activities near marine wildlife and Marine Protection Areas (MPA’s).

2-Collect whale and vessel activity data using trained citizen science volunteers using rigorous data collection protocols. Data collection consists of 1) counts of vessels near wildlife by type, location and
activity; 2) wildlife/whale identification, location, travel direction and selected standardized behavioral observations; 3) vessel contact information; 4) commercial and private vessel compliance with
guidelines and regulations; and 5) vessel behaviors in designated MPA’s.
Objective: Encourage better compliance of the commercial wildlife viewing industry with current guidelines and regulations for vessel operation around marine wildlife.

Key Activities:
1-Utilize Soundwatch monitoring data to generate weekly feedback reports and annual summary reports to the wildlife viewing industry on Soundwatch observations of vessel operators and paddlers
behaving contrary to current guidelines and regulations for vessel operation around marine wildlife.

Objective: Utilize Soundwatch data to characterize vessel activity trends to evaluate, adjust and develop new guidelines and/or regulations for vessel operation around marine wildlife.

Key Activities:
1-Compile and analyze annual and long-term data on vessel activity trends with whales and marine protection areas.

2- Generate and distribute annual vessel activity trend data reports to regional governmental management and enforcement agencies, the wildlife viewing industry, regional marine environmental organizations and stakeholders.

3- Present annual findings to regional governmental management and enforcement agencies along with Canadian partners at annual monitoring program meetings to evaluate the need and/or to provide
recommendations for adjustments to existing guidelines and/or the creation of new regulations specific to vessel operation around whales.

4- Work with regional governmental management and enforcement agencies and monitoring partners to develop and produce new guideline and regulation educational materials to promote and distribute.

Objective: Apply an annual adaptive management process.

Key Activities:
1- Participate in an annual cycle of guideline and regulation development, distribution and evaluation.

"Soundwatch is primarily an educational program and has no enforcement power"

Can't find the article but I recently read that Soundwatch is PO'd because they've reported hundreds of boater violations yet law enforcement refuses to write citations.

"Soundwatch is primarily an educational program and has no enforcement power"