OCEAN CITY, Md. — A voluntary speed restriction zone has been established off the coast of Ocean City after right whales were detected in the area on March 30. The Acoustic Slow Zone, designated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, will remain in effect through April 14.
The detection of the endangered North Atlantic right whales east of Ocean City triggered the activation of a Dynamic Management Area under NOAA Fisheries guidelines. Mariners are being asked to avoid the area or reduce their speed to 10 knots or less to help protect the whales from ship strikes.
In addition to the Ocean City zone, two other Slow Zones remain in effect across the mid-Atlantic. NOAA Fisheries recommends that mariners check its website regularly for updates on current whale locations and guidance.
A whale that was found dead earlier this month near the Indian River Inlet had died from a ship strike, according to the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute.