From the Boathouse: Enjoy the whales but be respectful

Ahoy!

Do you want to win $10,000? That is the first-place prize in the BoatUS lifejacket design competition presented by BoatUS’s nonprofit Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water.

Designs can be submitted by any individual or group.

The foundation is working with the Personal Floatation Device Manufacturers Assn. and the National Marine Manufacturers Assn. in the hope of finding new ideas and technologies for saving lives. Five judges will be basing their decisions on the design’s wearability, reliability, cost and innovation.

I mentioned in my column the second week in October that the Coast Guard eliminated as of Oct. 22 the life-jacket codes, which had been used to identify the different types of jackets and their uses.

I stated, “This is to make the products more consumer-friendly and to help spur new life-jacket innovations for the boating public. This is the first step of many for the new life-jacket standards, and a step in the correct direction to simplify the life jackets’ uses for recreational boaters.”

Even through boating and water sports have one of the safest injury and fatality rates per participant, this proactive competition can help address the need for many to wear a life jacket. I do understand that wearing a life jacket is not practical or necessary aboard every watercraft. Therefore, the focus should be on guests and operators of smaller boats.

Designs must be submitted before April 15 at BoatUS.org/design. A video about the competition can be seen at youtu.be/wSfdANt_lGU.

Tip of the week is that it is time again for whale watching off the Southern California coastline, and I cannot count how many times I have seen a young gray cruise through the harbor. Some people have had their best whale-watching experiences when the mammals enter the harbor.

Remember, whales are not fish but warm-blooded, air-breathing mammals that swim in a pod, not a school. Off Southern California, gray whales are the most abundant species, but keep your eyes open for other species like the orca, made famous by SeaWorld’s Shamu.

A whale-watching trip, whether on a friend’s boat or a commercial boat, is a great day trip for the family. However, I recommend that you check the sea conditions before you venture out on the Pacific Ocean. All skippers must abide by the numerous regulations to protect the whales from overly excited or disrespectful boaters.

The federal agency responsible for protecting gray whales is the National Marine Fisheries Service, and it is armed with the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act. I know that the majority of boaters will follow the general rules and report anyone seen blatantly disregarding them.

Certain boating speeds and distance are required when paralleling or following whales. Additionally, skippers should do nothing with the watercraft to cause a whale to change direction or stop. By the way, airplane pilots cannot fly lower than 1,000 feet when within a 100-yard horizontal distance from a whale.

Swimmers and divers are banned from approaching whales, and never attempt to pet or feed the whales. Be considerate to the mammals; remember, we are playing in their home.

The National Marine Fisheries Service webpage explaining the regulations and whale species that are off the Southern California coast is https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/education/california_whale_watching_guidelines.pdf. You can print the PDF and take it with you when you venture out to sea. To report an incident, call the NOAA law enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964 or radio the Coast Guard on VHF marine channel 16.

As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.

The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.

Safe voyages!

MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.