VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — A Right Whale Slow Zone is in effect off the coast of Virginia Beach until June 6 for boaters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Slow Zone, which limits speeds to 10 knots or less, is meant to protect right whales from vessel collisions.
"For a period of 15 days after a whale is detected, mariners are encouraged to avoid these areas or reduce speeds to 10 knots or less while transiting through these areas," NOAA writes on its Fisheries website.
Rudee Tours, a Virginia Beach-based dolphin and whale watching tour group, also posted to its Facebook page about the slow zone, noting that "numerous right whales" had been observed recently in the area.
There have been at least nine whale deaths off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina this year — some from run-ins with boaters.
We have created a timeline of those incidents.
Environment
A timeline of the whales that have died off Virginia, NC coast this year
A comparison chart of the whales that have died in the region this year is below.
