Photographer Matt McDonald, who had resided on Puget Sound for an extended period of time, was filled with joy when he caught sight of a massive sea creature near Seattle’s waterfront one evening.

The thrill did not last long. While McDonald was filming the whale through his camera, a large state ferry entered the frame and made the animal look small. The following day, he discovered on the news that the humpback whale had perished in the collision that he had witnessed.

“I vividly recall the moment when their paths intersected and my heart sank, thinking ‘Oh my God, the ferry hit the whale,'” he recounted the 2019 incident. “I wish I could have taken some action.”

Now, after five years, there exists.

The U.S. Coast Guard has initiated a test program to notify ships about whale sightings in the Salish Sea in Washington state. The purpose of the “cetacean desk” program is to ensure the protection of marine mammals from collisions with boats and decrease noise levels in the heavily traveled inland waters by gathering reports from civilians and sailors.

The program officially launched in December, coinciding with the peak season for humpback whale and orca sightings due to their recovering populations.

The Salish Sea is a complex network of islands and waterways located between Washington state and British Columbia, with Puget Sound being a part of it. This body of water is nourished by the Pacific Ocean and has been home to two distinct groups of orcas, one that feeds on salmon and the other on sea mammals, as well as baleen whales for centuries. Nowadays, it is common to spot these marine creatures from the shorelines of Seattle.

However, these seas are currently inhabited by prominent ports from both America and Canada, and in 2023, the Coast Guard reported that approximately 300,000 vessels sailed through the region, ranging from large cargo ships to leisure cruise ships and ferries. This figure does not account for personal watercraft.

The latest whale desk minimizes the chances of accidents by merging reports from both sailors and non-military individuals using whale-watching applications and information from subaquatic listening devices into a unified system. This system will then transmit notifications to commercial ships and local ferries via a mobile app. Private or recreational boats will not receive these alerts.

Lt. Commander Margaret Woodbridge, who oversees the whale desk, explained that our main goal is to equip ship operators with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. This includes slowing down and giving extra space to areas where whales have been recently reported.

Woodbridge mentioned that the Salish Sea is a remarkable region with a diverse range of whale species and a bustling economy centered around its waterways. The goal is to support the growth of both aspects.

Individuals who observe whales have the option to install one of two applications that will provide information to the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service operated by the Coast Guard. Boaters can also use designated radio frequencies or call a tip line to report whale sightings. Participation in this initiative is not mandatory for vessels.

The Whale Desk is designed to resemble the Marine Mammal Desk used by the Canadian Coast Guard. Both the American and Canadian desks are constructed using the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS), a software created by Ocean Wise in Canada. This program collects sightings from various sources, including publicly available apps and tracking data from whale watching boats.

According to U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, the development of the four-year trial initiative began many years ago, with the involvement of both state and federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This was in response to the challenge of aiding the endangered southern resident killer whale population.

The group of southern residents, consisting of only 75 individuals, utilize echolocation in order to catch salmon. However, the noise from passing ships interferes with their hunting process. By decreasing their speed, ships can lessen the amount of noise they produce.

Cantwell, a Democratic senator from Washington state who led the creation of the whale desk, expressed frustration with NOAA and asked, “What more can we do?” As the issue of vessel noise was brought to light, discussions began among stakeholders. The Coast Guard, who already monitors vessel traffic, is now being asked to also consider the presence of orcas in their responsibilities.

“The alert system is a significant milestone,” stated Kevin Bartoy, the chief sustainability officer for Washington State Ferries for approximately ten years.

Bartoy was stunned by the collision between the ferry and humpback whale, which highlighted the importance of a readily accessible alert system. He mentioned that the ferry system had recently become a part of WRAS, although it was not commonly utilized in Washington at the time. He also noted that on the day of the 2019 collision, there was only one alert about a whale in the vicinity.

Due to the improved network integration, there has been a significant rise in the number of sightings. According to Woodbridge from the Coast Guard, there was a 585% surge in reports between December 2022 and December 2023, following the launch of the desk and the inclusion of sightings from the WRAS apps.

Bartoy stated that the number of sightings we receive daily is astonishing. He also mentioned that we have the ability to track a whale’s location at any given moment.

However, the task is not complete. The whale observation station mainly relies on visual cues, making it challenging to spot the animals at night or during unfavorable weather conditions.

Bartoy mentioned that there are ongoing studies in Canada and Washington to initiate trials of land-based thermal cameras. These cameras have the potential to detect whales at night by detecting their body heat in the water. Additionally, they are also developing a stronger underwater listening system, known as a hydrophone, to capture whale songs.

According to John Calambokidis, a senior biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, humpback whales and other baleen whales are at a high risk of being struck by ships at night due to their tendency to spend double the amount of time near the surface during this time.

Calambokidis suggested that one method to ensure the safety of whales is to modify shipping routes if feasible. He mentioned that biologists are able to track the typical locations of humpback whales through tagging, but there is not much conversation about altering shipping lanes at this time.

In the recent past, a juvenile humpback whale spent several days in the waters near Seattle. Jeff Hogan, who was once part of the Soundwatch Boater Education Program, stated that this visit demonstrated the positive outcomes that can result when ship operators collaborate.

Hogan followed closely behind the humpback as it emerged from the water, and boats and ferries in the area quickly changed their paths to avoid the young whale, according to his statement.

“The presence of the Coast Guard enforces higher conduct from all individuals,” stated Hogan. “It establishes a level of accountability. We desire for these creatures to remain in their natural habitat and it is our duty to create an environment for them to thrive in.”

Source: wral.com