Boats Must Now Stay 1,000 Yards Away from Killer Whales in Wash. Waters

A family of Southern Resident killer whales. Photo: Dante Aubert/Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

As of Jan. 1, commercial fishing vessels and other boats in Washington state waters must stay at least 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) at all times.

The new rules, passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2023, are intended to reduce vessel noise and allow the whales to forage and rest with minimal disturbance.

According to state Fish and Wildlife officials, the busy waters of Puget Sound pose a significant threat to the endangered population of orcas, which relies on echolocation to hunt and communicate.

“Vessel noise is one of the three key threats to the Southern Residents, along with toxic contamination, and a lack of prey,” Julie Watson, the killer whale policy lead with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said. “This new 1,000-yard buffer is a major step in reducing the impacts of vessel disturbance on SRKW behavior.”

Vessels reducing noise by staying farther away effectively makes more prey available to the whales by making it easier for them to find and catch salmon, she explained.

The new law applies to operators of motorized vessels, as well as non-motorized vessels and paddlecraft like kayaks and paddleboards.

Under the law, all watercraft operators must stay 1,000 yards away from SRKW in all directions. If whales approach within 400 yards of the vessel, pilots should disengage the transmission until the fish moves away. 

1,000 yards is about one-half nautical mile. Pilots who think they may be closer than 1,000 yards to SRKW, but not within 400 yards, should attempt to navigate out of the path and away from SRKW at a speed of 7 knots or less, according to Fish and Wildlife.

In addition to SRKW, Washington is also home to the Bigg’s, or transient, killer whales, which are subject to a 200-yard buffer under federal law. SRKW feed almost exclusively on salmon, while transient killer whales primarily prey on marine mammals like seals and sea lions.

“There are some physical differences between SRKW and transient killer whales,” Watson said. “However, seeing these differences from outside 1,000 yards may be difficult, so we’re encouraging boaters to treat all unidentified killer whales as though they’re SRKW and opt to stay 1,000 yards away.”   

More information about the regulations and orcas in Washington is available at the WDFW website and bewhalewise.org.