'See a Blow? Go Slow!' humpback researcher warns

Whale researchers on Vancouver Island are calling on boaters to slow down whenthey spot a whale blow.

The campaign called See a Blow? Go Slow! was launched amid concerns the rise in the number of humpback whales in B.C. waters could lead to more collisions with boats.

"We've got a very big whale back on the block that is very different than how killer whales behave," said Jackie Hildering with the Marine Education and Research Society.

The campaign asks boat operatorsto slow down to sevenknots orlesswhen a whale blow is spotted within 400 metres. If a whale surfaces within 100 metresof a vessel, the engine should be placed in neutral or turned off.

A few encounterscaught on video this summer show humpbacks can sometimes get a bit close for comfort, Hildering said.

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Humpback whalesare especially vulnerable to being hit by boats because they don't have biosonar capabilities, Hildering said.

"They are often moving in random patterns, because they are feeding, and they can be suddenly acrobatic," she said."They can be oblivious to boats."

Unprecedented numbers of humpbacks have been spotted this summer as the species makes a comeback in the Salish Sea.

Other tips from the Marine Education and Research Societyfor avoiding collisions with whales:

• Always be on the lookout for blows.
• Watch for vessels flying the "Whale Watch Flag."This signals that whales are near.
• Be alert for large aggregations of birds.
• Increase vigilance in areas of known whale density.