Sharing the Ocean

“Eyes on the Water: Boating with Whales” is the title of a just-out and free online course put together by a group led by Carl LoBue, senior marine scientist at The Nature Conservancy, its Ocean Program director based in Cold Spring Harbor in Suffolk County.

I’ve gone through the course, and it’s highly important for boaters and, most of all, for those magnificent creatures, whales. It’s atboatingwithwhales.com.

It was created by LoBue and his Nature Conservancy team working with marine mammal experts from groups including the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Gotham Whale, and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Ocean Giants Team, and also the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

LoBue tells me that in his Nature Conservancy “job as well as in my personal time, I spend a lot of time running boats in the ocean and bays of New York. I have held a U.S. Coast Guard Masters Captain License for almost three decades. And because of the work I do with whales and seabirds, and being a fisherman, I spend a lot of time operating boats around whales, at least for the last decade. When I was younger there were no whales.”

“Sometimes,” he says, “watching a whale among boats feels like watching a golden retriever that got loose and is running across the median of a busy divided highway. I find myself holding my breath, hoping they don’t get hit by a boat. More than once, I’ve spent hours trying to keep unaware captains from running over a whale. …

“I see way too many whales with scars indicative of boat collisions or fishing gear entanglements, and those are the two leading causes of whale mortality in our region, including for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, and, of course, it hurts to hear people improperly blame other causes, because it distracts from doing things to solve the real problem.”

The Nature Conservancy, in announcing the new course, says it is “designed to help boaters safely navigate whale habitats. The interactive course simulates a journey through New York’s iconic waterways, teaching users to recognize whale behavior, avoid collisions and report sightings.”

“Whales are coming back,” it quotes LoBue as saying. “But they’re returning to waters that are busier than ever before. We need more eyes on the water — watching out for whales and ensuring safer seas for captains, crews and marine life.”

The announcement notes that “LoBue has spent much of his career studying the intricate food webs that sustain marine life and coastal communities. One of his biggest wins? Championing protections for Atlantic menhaden — small, oily fish that fuel the diets of whales, dolphins and seabirds.”

He “helped The Nature Conservancy successfully advocate for a 2019 New York State Law that eliminated pursue seining for menhaden, a practice that used large nets to capture this vital forage fish. The law was supported by Long Island baymen, recreational fishermen, charter boat captains, scientists, marine trades and wildlife enthusiasts.

“Building on that momentum, The Nature Conservancy helped secure a major policy shift in 2020, when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopted ecological reference points — a science-based approach that considers predator needs when managing fish stocks. This collective decision was a turning point. By considering and measuring what the ecosystem needs to thrive, New York scientists and fishermen helped restore a critical link in the food web.”

The Nature Conservancy announcement says heightened whale activity “isn’t just about food. It’s also the result of more than 50 years of protections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, which have helped whales and dolphins recover and reclaim habitat.”

Meanwhile, “the return of whales has coincided with a surge in human activity. Parts of the ocean off New York and New Jersey now resemble busy neighborhoods — with boats, ships and gear all moving in different directions.” It adds “whales rely on us to slow down and pay attention.”

LoBue is then quoted saying, “People and wildlife can share even the most crowded corners of the ocean. For this coexistence to last, captains must navigate with the same care they would driving near a playground or school zone — staying alert, patient and ready to respond.”

The announcement goes on: “As more whales are spotted with wounds from vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements, it’s clear how fragile this balance can be … In February, researchers spotted a North Atlantic right whale mother and calf foraging near five anchored container ships in the Ambrose Channel — the busiest shipping lane in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The mother had deep propeller scars from a previous strike.”

It relates: “Whales spend much of their time near the surface — where they rest, feed and breathe. It’s also where they’re most vulnerable. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and independent scientists, vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements are the leading causes of whale deaths, threatening species from humpbacks to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. ‘Eyes on the Water’ was built to help boaters avoid both of those risks — a timely solution backed by science and supported by those who care about the future of our oceans.”

LoBue is also quoted saying: “It’s not just about avoiding collisions. It’s about building a community of people who understand the ocean and want to protect it. You’re not just steering a boat — you’re entering someone else’s home. Every ripple, every sound, every movement matters.”

The online course is “flexible enough to be delivered as part of New York’s approved safe-boating courses or taken by those who have already completed a safe boating course without whale-safety training,” the announcement says.

Indeed, it should be made part of that course which became required at the start of 2025 for all operators of motorized boats in New York State to complete and receive a certificate.

It would be good for the state’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation which oversees the safe boating course program to do that.