It’s March, and right whales are returning to the sandy shoaling waters around Cape Cod and the Islands.
We recently informed you that in January, 75 right whales were spotted nearby on Jeffrey’s Ledge. Researchers observed Millipede, a right whale struck by a vessel when she was just one year old, and named her for the propeller wounds on her back that resemble a multi-legged arthropod. Nimbus was identified by the scars on his lips, which were caused by lacerations from 375 feet of synthetic rope.
After this sighting, the NOAA immediately issued a voluntary slow zone lookout for whales, but we know the dangers they face are conspicuous, and we must do more to stop harming them. The best way for right whales to forage free and thrive is with a federally designated national marine sanctuary.
Here’s the proposed site:
Our proposed Right Whale National Marine Sanctuary is adjacent to the Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary to the north. It encompasses Cape Cod Bay, the Southeast Channel, Nantucket Shoals, and west to Block Island. It covers an area of approximately 4,500 square miles, including 160 miles of coastal communities from Duxbury Beach to Rhode Island’s sandy shores.
This is a collaborative endeavor, where we have sought and received input from diverse groups of thousands of individuals and stakeholders advocating for the Right Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Here are twelve reasons identified in people’s comments why the government must act:
- Recognition of the intrinsic value and majesty of Right Whales
- Reducing polluted and warm waters from the land reaching the sea to improve whale forage with less biomagnification of toxins in whales
- Addressing threats such as ship strikes and entanglements with fishing gear
- Urgency to prevent extinction and maintain biodiversity
- Acknowledgment of human responsibility to protect all animal life
- The importance of whales as indicator species reflecting ocean health
- Mitigation of negative impacts of human activities on marine life
- Essential role of whales in a balanced ecosystem
- Ethical and moral obligation to protect wildlife
- Collaborative and comprehensive efforts are needed to enable the right whales to thrive
- Demonstrating stewardship of the Earth and its inhabitants
- Acknowledging the interconnectedness of all species and the need for conservation efforts
With a few impactful steps, we can protect these magnificent marine mammals so that present and future generations may enjoy the wonder and company of the North Atlantic right whale.
Steady on,
Rob
