UPDATED: Right Whale SLOW Zone Extended – Now In Effect Off Ocean City until March 3
UPDATED – 02/17/23 – On February 16, 2023, the Ocean City buoy operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science re-detected the presence of right whales 21 nm east of Ocean City, Maryland. The right whale Slow Zone is in effect through March 3, 2023.
As a reminder, two additional Slow Zones are also currently in effect. Locations and effective dates are shown in the image below.
VOLUNTARY Right Whale “Slow Zone” AREAS
Mariners are requested to avoid or transit at 10 knots or less inside the areas where persistent aggregations of right whales have been detected. Please visit the NOAA Fisheries website for more information.
East of Ocean City, MD Acoustic Slow Zone: Effective February 16 – March 3, 2023
Waters bounded by:
- NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38′ N
- SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58′ N
- EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13′ W
- WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04′ W
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UPDATED – 02/07/23 – On February 7, 2023, the Ocean City buoy operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science re-detected the presence of right whales east of Ocean City, Maryland. The right whale Slow Zone is in effect through February 22, 2023.
As a reminder, two additional Slow Zones are also currently in effect. Locations and effective dates are shown in image below.
VOLUNTARY Right Whale “Slow Zone” AREAS
Mariners are requested to avoid or transit at 10 knots or less inside the areas where persistent aggregations of right whales have been detected. Please visit the NOAA Fisheries website for more information.
East of Ocean City, MD Acoustic Slow Zone: Effective February 7 – February 22, 2023
Waters bounded by:
- NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38′ N
- SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58′ N
- EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13′ W
- WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04′ W
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UPDATED – 01/31/23 – On January 28, 2023, the Ocean City buoy operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science again detected the presence of right whales east of Ocean City, Maryland. The right whale Slow Zone is in effect through February 12, 2023.
As a reminder, three additional Slow Zones are also currently in effect. Locations and effective dates are shown in image below.
VOLUNTARY Right Whale “Slow Zone” AREAS
Mariners are requested to avoid or transit at 10 knots or less inside the following areas where persistent aggregations of right whales have been detected. Please visit the NOAA Fisheries website for more information.
East of Ocean City, MD Acoustic Slow Zone: Effective January 28 – February 12, 2023
Waters bounded by:
- NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38′ N
- SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58′ N
- EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13′ W
- WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04′ W
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On January 15, 2023, the Ocean City buoy operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science detected the presence of right whales east of Ocean City, Maryland. A right whale SLOW Zone is in effect immediately and expires on January 30, 2023. This means that mariners are requested to avoid or transit at 10 knots or less inside the areas where right whales have been detected.
VOLUNTARY Right Whale “Slow Zone” AREAS
East of Ocean City, Maryland Acoustic Slow Zone:
Waters bounded by:
- NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38′ N
- SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58′ N
- EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13′ W
- WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04′ W
