If you see an entangled, stranded, sick, injured, or dead animal, please REPORT IT to your local NOAA Hotline number. If you are out of cell phone range, you can report it to the US Coast Guard using VHF radio Ch. 16.
Wildlife viewing guidelines and regulations
in alaska
MARINE MAMMAL VIEWING GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS
Click here for information about marine mammal viewing guidelines and federal regulations in Alaska.
in the atlantic
MARINE WILDLIFE VIEWING GUIDELINES
Click here for whale watching and wildlife viewing marine viewing guidelines in New England and the mid-Atlantic.
NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE MANAGEMENT AREAS
Includes both mandatory and voluntary speed restrictions. Click here.
other species
SHARE THE SHORE WITH SEALS
It is important for New England beachgoers to share the shore with seals. Learn tips on to give them space here.
Conservation & Laws
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Protects all marine mammals (whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, manatees, sea otters, walrus, and polar bears) regardless of the whether they are endangered, threatened, or depleted. Learn more here.
Endangered Species Act
Additional protections for endangered & threatened marine mammals (most large whales). Learn more here.
TAKE REDUCTION PLANS & TEAMS
Take reduction plans help recover and prevent the depletion of strategic marine mammal stocks that interact with certain types of fisheries. Learn more here.
convention on migratory species
CMS provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. Learn more here.
Search for endangered marine species
Visit NOAA Fisheries’ website to search the database.
Other Helpful Resources
noaa right whale sightings advisory system
View near-real-time North Atlantic right whale sightings contributed to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium and WhaleMap.
whale watch handbook
Created by the International Whaling Commission as a a comprehensive, online tool for regulators, industry and the general public.
*Please note that Whale SENSE takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of external web pages.