Ocean City, MD - NOAA Fisheries announced the extension of a voluntary right whale Slow Zone (acoustic trigger). On December 3, 2023, the Ocean City buoy operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science redetected the presence of right whales east of Ocean City, Maryland. The right whale Slow Zone is in effect through December 18, 2023.
As a reminder, four additional Slow Zones are 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 December 3-18, 2023
Waters bounded by:
NORTHERN BOUNDARY: 38°38' N
SOUTHERN BOUNDARY: 37°58' N
EASTERN BOUNDARY: 74°13' W
WESTERN BOUNDARY: 75°04' W
