Monitoring Interactions of Southern Resident Killer Whales with Recreational Boats and Commercial Vessels in Boundary Pass

Boundary Pass is located off the south coast of Saturna Island and is an important foraging spot for the endangered Southern Resident Killer whales (SRKW). This region is also used by fishing, recreational and ecotourism boats and by large commercial vessels transiting through the shipping lanes to Vancouver Ports. Starting in June, the ECHO Program is initiating a commercial vessel Slowdown Trial that includes the Boundary Pass region off Saturna Island. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a substantial reduction in tourism affecting recreational boating and commercial whale-watching. This natural reduction in boat presence in conjunction with a commercial vessel Slowdown Trial gives an unprecedented opportunity to collect baseline data. The results of this study will contribute observations and analyses to the larger goal of helping SMRU Canada Ltd understanding impacts of boat and vessel traffic to support the recovery of SRKW in the Salish Sea.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ruth Joy;Jeremy Venditti

Student:

Lucy Quayle

Partner:

SMRU Canada Ltd

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Simon Fraser University