Orca Protection & Rescue

“I’ve had enough and I just can’t do this anymore.”

After 15-years as a whale watch tour operator, Captain Alan “Hobbes” Buchanan’s passion for whales has led him to create Orca Protection & Rescue, a new organization aimed at helping to save the whales and wildlife of the Salish Sea. Orca Protection & Rescue will focus on whale watch regulations and enforcement, and marine debris and plastics removal.

“I’m done with too many whale watch and private boats around the whales at one time, not enough enforcement, some bad tour operators due to poor training, and ignorance around these majestic animals!” said Captain Hobbes.

Orca Protection & Rescue is focused on protecting the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs), transient killer whales (Biggs), and humpback and gray whales.

When Captain Hobbes began as a whale watch captain in 2002, only 15-20 vessels engaged with the 90+ whales that made up the Southern Resident Killer Whale population. Today, over 97 whale watch boats engage with only 76 whales; the boats are from the San Juan Islands, Anacortes, Everett, Seattle, Port Townsend, Victoria, Sidney, Vancouver, and other small Canadian towns. These vessels do not account for the private boats, ferries, commercial shipping, research boats, or enforcement vessels also operating daily.

Orca Protection & Rescue is concerned with the growing number of whale watch companies and increasing vessel traffic, with no permits or training required, due to sound and other interference as the whale populations hunt and socialize.

“… that’s well over 120 boats! Whales change their behavior and stop feeding when lots of boats and noise are around them, no wonder they are starving to death. And as of now, there are still no permits or training required by local, state or federal agencies to operate a whale watch company. And the number of boats is still growing…” Captain Hobbes explains.

Captain Alan “Hobbes” Buchanan – Contributed photo

With 4 recognized and documented boat strikes in the past year, there is growing concern over larger, faster, and louder vessels being built and operated. Orca Protection & Rescue would like to restrict the number of whale watch and private boats observing whales and wildlife at any one time.

Captain Hobbes is a former member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) and hopes to partner with them. The PWWA represents 32 companies that take out approximately 480,000 passengers a year. Whale watching in Puget Sound is a $50 million dollar a year industry.

“Some companies have been very proactive in educating the public about the health of our whales and oceans, but they ALL need to do this. The number of their boats around the whales at any one time needs to be limited, and their viewing time needs to be limited. It’s also time for an annual permit system and official training,” said Captain Hobbes.

Orca Protection & Rescue has another area for concern, plastics and other marine debris. “Almost every fish, whale, seabird and other creature of the deep has plastics in its belly. 50-ton giants are getting caught in fishing gear and other marine debris. We need to ban plastics now!”

Orca Protection & Rescue aims to help NOAA and WDFW with this problem by making their vessels available to their well-trained crews when needed. The organization has plans to set up a hotline so people can report ghost fishing gear, marine debris, and plastics for crew and volunteers of the organization to go out and retrieve.

“We have already started cleaning up our beaches, a big thank you goes to all of the volunteers who have been doing this!”

Captain Hobbes has been meeting with many regional agencies over the last couple of months and hopes to partner with San Juan County, the Sheriff’s Department, NOAA, DFO, WDFW, PWWA, The Whale Museum/Soundwatch, The Friends of the San Juans and others interested in helping to save our iconic whales.

“These magnificent creatures are hurtling towards extinction. They need a break and they need our help now.”
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Captain Hobbes was a whale watch captain for over 15 years, of which the last 6 years he owned and operated his own company out of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington. He has operated boats since he was 14 years old, where he began on the River Thames in England. As a former non commissioned officer in an elite regiment of the British Army, Hobbes hopes to crew his vessels with veterans to document violations and respond to emergencies. He would like to help rehabilitate veterans on his boats by their involvement in helping to save whales and wildlife.

Orca Protection & Rescue is in the process of applying for grants and relies on donations from the public, as well as on volunteers. You can make a difference and a donation at www.orcaprotection.org, or through their FaceBook page “Orca Protection and Rescue” or email [email protected] for more information.

Capt. Hobbes Buchanan
Orca Protection & Rescue
PO Box 1345
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-298-0012
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.orcaprotection.org

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