We've made it easy for you to help by drafting a letter to Donna Weiting, Chief of the Marine Mammal Conservation Division at the National Marine Fisheries Service. The letter asks that she apply boating rules for the orcas in Washington State just as she has done for humpback whales in Alaska.

1. Print the letter, as is, right from your browser, and send or fax it to the address we've included.
2. Download the Microsoft Word version of this letter and customize it before sending or faxing it.
3. Download the text version of this letter if you prefer to use another application to customize it.

I am writing to ask you to apply the same rules to boat interactions with orca whales in Washington State that you have recently applied to humpback whales in Alaska. As in that instance, the whale watch industry has had an opportunity to regulate itself and has failed to abide by voluntary guidelines.

In summer over 100 boats will follow the pods from 9am to 9pm. Approximately 60 of those boats are run by commercial whale watching operations. As these boats jostle for position, sometimes around as few as four or five whales, they leapfrog into the whales' path and interrupt their respiration patterns.

At a minimum there is a high potential for vessels to disturb the whales, particularly in such numbers. A rule stipulating a minimum distance of 200 yards from the whales would still ensure a satisfactory whale watching experience, while reducing stress on animals that already suffer the highest toxic burden of any marine mammal and a reduced food supply. In just four years their numbers have dropped from 96 to 82 animals, and half of the maternal lineages are expected to die out. A new rule protecting these whales may help the population rebound.

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