- An apparent near miss in Alaska between a cruise ship and a pod of humpback whales is being investigated based on a video footage.
- Vessels must keep at least 100 yards from humpback whales in Alaska, according to Alaska mammal viewing regulation and must operate at a slow, safe speed.
- Video hints that passengers had their windows open to watch the close shave between the mammals and the vessel.
Federal regulators are investigating video footage that appears to show a Holland America Line cruise ship narrowly missing a pod of humpback whales while on its way to Juneau, reports the NewsWeek.
Why is the video footage investigated?
An investigation has been launched into an apparent near miss in Alaska between a cruise ship and a pod of humpback whales.
Footage posted to Facebook shows the Holland America Line cruise ship Eurodam passing by the whales en route to Juneau.
@Greenpeace @greenpeaceusa @GreenpeaceUK thought you might wanna see what happens when we radio and let @HALbeheer know they are going to hit some whales how they respond via the MMP pic.twitter.com/atKhvTYiXv
— Kidd™ (@Kidd_In_Action) June 24, 2019
Warning from nearby vessel
A voice on the videos, which were filmed from a nearby vessel, says they tried to warn the ship twice about the whales’ proximity.
“There he goes steaming right over the top of where they just surfaced. Hasn’t even bothered to slow down yet,” the voice says.
“You can see the whales right next to the ship, he is steaming right past them at full steam ahead. He was warned twice, he’s practically running over the top of them.”
Passengers enjoying the close shave?
Another voice in the video remarks on how many passengers had their windows open, suggesting that people were watching the close shave between the mammals and the vessel.
Brett Kidd Palmer, who put the videos up on Facebook, said it showed “absolute disregard for the Marine Mammals’ Protection Act! Or the safety and well being of the whales!”
Alaska mammal viewing regulation
Vessels must keep at least 100 yards from humpback whales in Alaska, roughly the length of a football field.
They must also operate at a slow, safe speed and not disrupt the normal behavior or prior activity of a whale, according to the NOAA Fisheries website.
Julie Speegle of NOAA Fisheries said her agency would investigate the incident.
Investigation going on
“[We] have received the video and are reviewing it, and… have made contact with the cruise company,” Speegle said.
In a statement, Holland America Line a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation said crew did spot the pod bubble feeding ahead of the ship around 6:40 a.m. near Kingsmill Point.
“Following proper protocols, the captain altered course by 10 degrees to create more distance between the ship and whales, allowing them to safely pass,” the statement said.
Carnival’s recent federal settlement
As part of a federal settlement, Carnival recently agreed to pay an additional $20 million in fines for felony probation violations that include illegal dumping in Alaska and elsewhere.
Last fall, Holland America Line’s Westerdam dumped 26,000 gallons of polluted water in Glacier Bay National Park and failed to properly notify regulators, according to court documents.
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Source: Newsweek
