The right whale named “Snow Cone” and calf sighted off Fernandina Beach, Florida in 2022. Snow Cone has been entangled in rope since March 2021. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA permit 20556-01 If you know me, you likely know that in addition to owning a charter fishing business, I’ve dedicated a […]
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Image: UBC Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries. University of British Columbia researchers say a chemical used to produce toilet paper, as well as so-called ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in the carcasses of stranded endangered orca whales offshore of the Canadian province. Study results, released in December 2022 in an online publication of the […]
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Eliminating the use of large-mesh drift gillnets will help minimize bycatch in the commercial swordfish fishery. Mike Mazur I’ll be right up front: I’m not a fan of legislative riders, where an issue unrelated to the major piece of legislation gets attached as a way of getting it passed. It is my feeling that the […]
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Halfway around the world on his cruising catamaran, ocean racer Nick Bubb reveals what he’s learned sailing 15,000 miles with his family After a fast downwind passage from French Polynesia, we sailed into Fijian waters, just under 12 months after setting off from Lymington in the UK. Once we had cleared customs and immigration, met […]
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Will Bruton takes a look at the positives and potential pitfalls in buying a family yacht so you can cruise the world with the kids in tow Buying a family yacht with room to accommodate young and old means looking for some very specific characteristics. Having enough space for living, studying and – increasingly commonly […]
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Warm Up to Puerto Rico The island is a U.S. territory and a gateway to the Caribbean. It’s amazing how little most U.S. mainlanders really know about Puerto Rico. Sure, plenty have flown to the island or even taken cruise ships to San Juan, the capital of this United States territory, but I’m not convinced […]
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The clear, crisp air in November brings beautiful sunrises. With the New York skyline outlined by a deep-red sky and a little mist rising off the water, the scene was set for a magical day on the water—if the fish were willing to cooperate. The truck reported 35 degrees when I got in, but with […]
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Image: California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Commercial fishing for Dungeness crab south of California’s Sonoma-Mendocino county line has been delayed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) due to concerns over potential entanglement with high numbers of humpback whales in the area. The commercial fishery had been scheduled to open on Nov. […]
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Legendary sailing photographer Rick Tomlinson leads a wildlife expedition sail in Svalbard searching for polar bears and stunning scenery to capture It’s 0600 and I hear movement down below, our guide Marcel going for his shower. I’d woken a couple of hours earlier when I knocked a pillow covering the window and bright, bright, sunlight […]
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Under the cover of night Captain Ryan Hill, Matthew Bach, Michael Tanionos and Jeff Vantine got more than they bargained for while jigging for bait during a recent tuna trip off Massachusetts. The crew prepped Hill’s 26-foot Regulator for a long day of giant tuna fishing ahead while Captain Ryan Hill charted the course. Hill […]
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Yamaha Rightwaters continues its support of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Mass., by recently helping the marine rescue organization repower a boat with new 300-horsepower outboards. The F300s will power the twin-engine Ibis, a whale disentanglement vessel used to assist with several research and rescue programs in the Cape Cod Bay area. “The Center for […]
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Image via Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council. A citizens’ advisory entity established in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in Alaska’s Prince William Sound (PWS) has taken a tightened stance against use of dispersants in cleanup operations, saying prevention and mechanical recovery are the preferred alternatives. The updated position […]
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Image via NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries, which leads the Alaska Large Whale Entanglement Response Program, held workshops in four Alaska communities this fall on how to best respond to entangled whales. The training sessions in Metlakatla, Auke Bay and Gustavus in Southeast Alaska, and Cordova, on Prince William Sound, taught safety skills needed to approach […]
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Mola, also known as ocean sunfish, are massive, weird-looking fish without a tail. What would take a bite out of the slow-mover? Rich Herrmann Could anything that swims be an easier meal than the mola? Also known as ocean sunfish, the weird fish without a tail appears to be missing the back half of its body, […]
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Menhaden, or, “bunker,” or, “pogie,” is a great bait that most anglers would disdain as table fare. Yet, these fish were once promoted by Uncle Sam as good to eat. Courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program “Trash-fish,” or “rough fish” are longstanding pejoratives for any fish not considered sporting and / or not considered good table fare. […]
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The organizations representing recreational fishing and boating in the United States this week urged the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to pause its proposed North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, citing numerous significant flaws with the proposal. The proposed rule would broaden the current 10-knot (11.5 mph) speed restriction to include vessels 35 feet […]
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Image via Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program has added West Coast swordfish caught with harpoons and deep-set buy gear to its new “green list” of well managed seafood. Aquarium officials in Monterey, California, put out the “green list” of recommendations for businesses and consumers based on ways seafood is caught […]
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NOAA Proposal Could Devastate Boating Industry. In the hopes of saving a declining population of North Atlantic Right whales, NOAA aims to institute a 10-knot speed limit along much of the Atlantic coast. We cut through the clutter and get to the heart of this matter with this emergency podcast with Viking Director of Government […]
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Crews work aboard the Aleutian Isle on Sept. 20, 2022. U.S. Coast Guard photo. A commercial fishing vessel that sank in mid-August near Sunset Point off Washington’s San Juan Island, was recovered, defueled and on a salvage barge as of Sept. 21, and no longer posed a significant threat to the environment, the U.S. Coast […]
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Image via NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries, the leader in the Alaska Large Whale Entanglement Response Program, recently held workshops in four Alaska communities on how to best respond to entangled whales. The training sessions in Metlakatla, Auke Bay and Gustavus in Southeast Alaska and Cordova, on Prince William Sound, taught safety skills needed to approach […]
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