Early Warning System
Government funded right whale aerial surveys are flown seven days a week, weather permitting from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Crescent Beach, Florida. Surveys begin on November 15th and end on April 15th of following year. All surveys are flown from the shoreline to approximately 35 nautical miles offshore. Over 700 separate right whale sighting events can be generated from these surveys during one calving season.
After data collection for each right whale sighting, the aircraft immediately relays right whale sighting information to various maritime interests including the US Army Corps, Coast Guard and Navy. Survey planes occasionally use VHF-FM channel 16 to contact ships directly if whales have been spotted in close proximity to that vessel. Sightings from volunteer networks and other reporting sources such as the Coast Guard, Navy, private watercraft, dredges are verified and reported. The whale alerts sent by the aerial survey teams are distributed to specific geographical “bins,” so vessel operators and shipping interests could receive only the alerts relevant to their operational area. The right whale sighting alert includes distance and direction of the sighting from the closest channel sea buoy, source of the right whale sighting, date, time, latitude and longitude, direction of movement, age class and number of right whales sighted. The alerts can be received by email, cell phone text, or an established alphanumeric pager system. The sighting locations are also entered in the Mandatory Ship Reporting (MSR) System. All ships greater than 300 gross tons report to the MSR system prior to arrival in the ports of Brunswick, Fernandina Beach and Jacksonville and receive the sighting locations from the past 24 hours in a response to their report. Ship channel pilots, USCG, state agencies, and Navy also distribute the sighting information.
Maritime interests who would like to receive sighting alerts or general right whale sighting information can send their requests to se.rw.sightings@noaa.gov.
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