Suspend viewing of Southern Resident orcas.

Action 1

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife should establish a whale-watching regulation that suspends Southern Resident viewing by all boats in Puget Sound for the next 3-5 years.

Action 2

The Governor should direct the department to begin rulemaking to define Washington whale watching in coordination with the commercial whale-watching industry, kayak industry, local governments, and interested nongovernment organizations. The department also should report on the effectiveness of the rule after 3-5 years.

This was not implemented to date.

• Starting January 1, 2025, a law goes into effect that requires all boats to stay 1,000 yards from Southern Residents. An advisory committee will provide recommendations on the implementation of the new law.
• All vessels must stay 300 yards away from either side and 400 yards in front of and behind Southern Residents and must slow down to 7 knots within a half nautical mile of the orcas (Revised Code of Washington 77.15.740).
• More details may be found in the progress reports in the resources library.