Mariners: as you prepare your vessels to sail this summer, remember to watch your speed! Reducing your speed inside the Great South Channel Seasonal Management Area helps protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. For instance, vessels participating in or watching events associated with the Sail 250 Celebration may cross the Great South Channel SMA while it is active.
Most vessels 65 feet or longer are required by law to travel at 10 knots or less in SMAs along the U.S. East Coast at certain times of the year. The Great South Channel SMA is active each year from April 1 through July 31. Going 10 knots or less in SMAs reduces the likelihood of deaths and serious injuries to endangered North Atlantic right whales that result from collisions with vessels.
Should a regulated vessel need to exceed the 10-knot speed limit for safety while transiting within an active SMA, they must document the following information in the vessel’s logbook:
- Reasons for the deviation
- Speed at which the vessel operated
- Latitude and longitude of the location(s) they exceeded 10 knots
- Time and duration of the deviation
In addition, the captain must sign and date the vessel logbook affirming the documented information is accurate.
The Great South Channel SMA is confined in waters bounded by the following coordinates:
- 42º30'N, 069º45'W
- 42º30'N, 067º27'W
- 42º09'N, 067º08'24"W
- 41º00'N, 069º05'W
- 41º40'N, 069º45'W, then back to the starting point
NOAA recommends that all vessels go 10 knots or less in active Right Whale Slow Zones and Dynamic Management areas. These are areas where North Atlantic Right Whales have been detected. All boaters from Maine to Florida can sign up for email or text notifications about the latest Right Whale Slow Zones.
Vessels are encouraged to report any sightings of North Atlantic right whales from Virginia to Maine at (866) 755-6622. Right whale sightings in any location may also be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard via channel 16 or through the Whale Alert app.
You can reach the Northeast Office of Law Enforcement at (978) 281-9213 (select “option 2” for regulatory compliance) or nmfs.ole.ned@noaa.gov.
