Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales

Right Whale Migration in an Urban Ocean

Endangered North Atlantic right whales are at heightened risk for vessel strikes because they spend a lot of time at or close to the water surface. Vessel strikes are a primary threat to the species.

Right whales can be very difficult to spot from a boat due to their dark color and lack of a dorsal fin. Poor weather and sea state or low light conditions can make spotting these whales nearly impossible.

This visualization illustrates the risk right whales face every day. It shows the migratory path of a 1-year-old right whale satellite-tagged off the Virginia/North Carolina coast in March 2021. The whale (red dot) traveled north along the Mid-Atlantic coast, overlapping with heavy vessel traffic (blue dots) and busy port entrances. In fact, the visualization shows only a portion of the actual vessel traffic—those vessels equipped with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).

Whales can be quite challenging to tag. They are wild animals that do not always cooperate—their movements can be unpredictable and close approaches are risky even for trained, experienced responders. Researchers must wait for calm weather and the right moment to safely approach the whale. This whale’s tag lasted an impressive 16 days, one of the longer attachments the team has had on a right whale to date. 

Experienced researchers at HDR Inc. tagged this right whale as part of a collaborative project involving the U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the Naval Facilities Engineering Services Command Atlantic. This tagging project is part of the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program (NOAA Fisheries research permit #21482).

Proposed Modifications to Right Whale Speed Rule

NOAA Fisheries announced proposed changes to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) vessel speed rule to further reduce the likelihood of mortalities and serious injuries to endangered right whales from vessel collisions on July 29, 2022. NOAA Fisheries accepted public comment on the proposed rule until October 31, 2022.

NOAA Fisheries withdrew the proposed rule to amend the North Atlantic right whale vessel strike reduction rule on January 15, 2025. More information is available in the Federal Register notice. 

Human impacts, including vessel strikes, continue to threaten the survival of North Atlantic right whales. NOAA Fisheries will continue to work closely with our  partners and stakeholders to further efforts to conserve and rebuild the North Atlantic right whale population, including by using existing management measures and technological innovation and partnerships to help reduce the risk of vessel strikes.

• Supplemental materials
• All Boaters Should Reduce Their Speed to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales
• North Atlantic right whale Road to Recovery

Right Whale Speed Rule Assessment

In 2013, NOAA Fisheries committed to publish a report evaluating the conservation value and economic and navigational safety impacts of the 2008 North Atlantic right whale vessel speed regulations (50 CFR § 224.105). The report was finalized in June 2020 and evaluates four aspects of the right whale vessel speed rule: biological efficacy, mariner compliance, impacts to navigational safety, and economic cost to mariners. It also provides a detailed assessment of the rule’s effectiveness, and assesses general trends in vessel traffic characteristics within Seasonal Management Areas over time.

• Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule Assessment, June 2020 (PDF, 53 pages)
• Appendix A: Figures and Tables (PDF, 77 pages)
• Appendix B: Economic Impact Assessment (PDF, 87 pages)

NOAA Fisheries solicited public comment on the speed rule assessment.  The comment period closed at the end of March 2021 and we are posting comments received for public reference.

• Public comments received on right whale speed rule assessment - March 2021(PDF, 592 pages)
• Southern Environmental Law Center and Oceana comment attachments (PDF, 1197 pages)

Current Vessel Speed Restrictions

Most vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in certain locations (called Seasonal Management Areas) along the U.S. East Coast at certain times of the year. This mandatory regulation reduces the likelihood of deaths and serious injuries to endangered North Atlantic right whales that result from collisions with vessels. Vessels of all sizes can strike a whale, so we encourage vessels less than 65 feet long to help protect right whales by slowing to 10 knots or less within these areas as well.

To monitor compliance with vessel speed regulations, we developed an interactive speed zone dashboard. Users can explore the dashboard to view vessel traffic by speed, season, month, speed zone, and vessel type.

• Compliance Guide (PDF, 2 pages)
• Final rule to eliminate sunset provision on speed restrictions (12/09/13, 78 FR 73726)
• Proposed rule to eliminate sunset provision on speed restrictions (06/06/2013, 78 FR 34024)
• Economic analysis of North Atlantic right whale ship strike reduction rule (2012, PDF 49 pages)
• Final rule to implement speed restrictions (10/10/2008, 73 FR 60173)

Seasonal Management Areas - Northeast

Great South Channel Area to Be Avoided

For ships weighing 300 gross tons or more, a voluntary seasonal Area To Be Avoided (ATBA) is in effect each year from April 1 to July 31, when right whales face their highest risk of ship strikes in this area.

Boston, Massachusetts Traffic Separation Scheme

The North-South lanes of the Traffic Separation Scheme servicing Boston were narrowed from 2 miles to 1.5 miles (consistent with the East-West Boston Traffic Separation Scheme lanes) to reduce vessel collisions with whales.

Charts of Approaches to Boston Traffic Separation Scheme and Area to be Avoided

• 13200: Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals
• 13203: Georges Bank Western Part
• 13006: West Quoddy Head to New York

 Recommended Routes in Key Right Whale Habitats

NOAA established recommended vessel routes in four locations to reduce the likelihood of ship collisions in key right whale habitats in Massachusetts, Georgia, and Florida.

• Recommended routes (PDF, 2 pages)

Mandatory Ship Reporting System

When ships greater than 300 gross tons enter two key right whale habitats—one off the northeast U.S. and one off the southeast U.S.—they are required to report to a shore-based station.

In return, ships receive a message about right whales, their vulnerability to ship strikes, precautionary measures the ship can take to avoid hitting a whale, and locations of recent sightings.

Mandatory Ship Reporting System areas will soon be available on all NOAA Electronic Navigation Chart products.

• Mandatory ship reporting system placard (PDF, 2 pages)
• Final rule (11/20/2001, 69 FR 58066)

Report a Vessel Strike

Report vessel strikes to the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Where Are Right Whales?

• Mapping application for right whale sightings in the North Atlantic Ocean
• Acoustic detections in Cape Cod Bay and the Boston TSS
• Download the Whale Alert app for iPad and iPhone