WATCH MARINE LIFE RESPONSIBLY
The marine wildlife viewing handbook is a gift for nature

By HEIDI TIURA
Monterey Herald Guest Commentary

Marine mammals such as whales have much in common with humans. They aren't fish and they don't have gills. They have to hold their breath while underwater and they need to surface to breathe. This is how we get to see them, when our worlds overlap. But it's also where we sometimes come into conflict.

Humans have no impact watching whales from shore. But on the water in boats, we have the ability to approach them. Several risks arise when we do, ranging from mere disturbance of the animal to possible injury. Much of this stems from the thrill boaters feel when they see a whale. The urge for a closer look is natural.

But imagine how the whale feels. It must surface to breathe, yet when it does, the whale can find itself being chased by one or more boats. Or maybe it's surrounded by vessels. Whales can hear power boats easily. They're aware of these approaches, but they can't see all directions around them. This can be a stressful situation as the animals struggle to surface, breathe and dive as quickly as possible.

Contrast this to people watching the whales from boats. For many, as the majestic animal rises -- towering blow shooting into the air as it exhales, water spilling off its back as it arches, huge flukes emerging prior to sounding -- the effect is awe-inspiring. Whale watchers often cheer and clap at the spectacle. Then they anxiously scan the water for the next sighting and charge that way when it's spotted. They don't have a clue that they're harassing these animals.

How would they? Often, this education comes from good people who speak up. My husband, Steph Dutton, and I started working with whales in 1996 when we developed a Monterey-based gray whale research and conservation project. We used sea kayaks as the primary research vessels and I ran our 26-foot power boat as the support vessel.

One day, having waited a long time for our first gray whale to surface, we had a distant sighting half a mile away. I let out a whoop and throttled up. Jeff Schrock, owner of Monterey Bay Kayaks, was aboard. He cautioned me to take it slow and easy. While I was nowhere near the whale and always operated the vessel in a safe manner, his wise admonition to consider the approach from the whale's viewpoint resulted in a gentler pace. We were treated to many relaxed surfacings when we did get closer.

As our skill in tracking whales grew, we learned we could ease into their world without disturbing them. In many cases, we could predict where the next surfacing might occur. We fell into a parallel course, usually to one side and slightly behind the whale. It was a natural inclination not to approach the animals head-on or to cut in front of their intended path. We pulled our engines out of gear when the whales were close by, so that there was no danger of injury from moving props.

When we started our whale-watching company, these were the standards we brought to our cruises. We get the occasional passenger who is frustrated trying to capture that trophy photograph or video and wants to rush at the whales. But we plant the seed that if it's going to happen, it will be the whale's choice. By holding off and letting the animal feel comfortable with our vessel, everyone feels as though they have received a gift when a whale emerges nearby. And they have.

We've found most of the charter skippers are good at working with whales, but how do you correct the ones who aren't? And what about recreational boaters?

There are pitfalls in wildlife viewing on land as well. Who hasn't seen people charge at harbor seals resting on rocks, someone throw objects at sea lions or kids climb over protective fencing to play in sensitive nesting areas for birds? On the water or next to it, well-intentioned people who sought to educate these folks were operating at a disadvantage, since they lacked a simple reference guide.

All of that should change soon. On Thursday, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will unveil the draft of a new handbook. "Responsibly Watching California's Marine Wildlife -- A Handbook For Ocean Users," is a guide that contains clear and helpful suggestions for both land and shore-side viewing. It explains the laws involved and the implications of breaking them, both for the animals and the humans.

We will gather at a workshop to discuss the guidelines and provide input on them. Soon after, the handbook will be available to the public and widely distributed through kayak and dive shops, whale-watching operators and volunteers from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Save Our Shores and Bay Net.

We're especially excited about the handbook because everyone wins, nature as well as the humans who can sometimes love nature to death. Better-educated enthusiasts will be able to feel good about their reduced impact on wildlife, achieving the goal of leaving nothing but footprints and taking nothing but photographs.

Captain Heidi Tiura is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed vessel master. She and her husband, Captain Steph Dutton, own Sanctuary Cruises in Moss Landing. Tiura is a member of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council.