<\/a>Ally Schuler speaks to members of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce about whale watching tours during a luncheon Jan. 16.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
But this has led to issues. Concern has grown over the effects whale watching tours may have on Juneau’s harbors, waterfronts, and the whales themselves.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Matt Creswell, assistant harbormaster for City and Borough of Juneau Docks and Harbors, said congestion from the whale watching tours in Don D. Statter Harbor at Auke Bay will be addressed by construction currently happening in the inner basin of the harbor.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We’re adding 1,300 linear feet of moorage that can be added specifically to the passenger for hire vessels,” Creswell said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Construction in the harbor will eventually add designated whale watching piers, a bus pick-up and drop-off point and public restrooms to the inner basin. That’s expected to ease congestion and adding more mooring space to the harbor.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“The industry in Juneau is one of a kind,” said Suzie Teerlink, a member of NOAA’s marine fisheries service. “The marine wildlife here is unlike other areas.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The marine wildlife here is protected by guidelines<\/a>, including a federally mandated minimum safe distance of 100 yards<\/a> for all boats. Whale watching boats are also forbidden from remaining on station watching a single whale or group of whales for more than 30 minutes, and have specific speed limits and traffic corridors that they operate in to reduce wake and disturbance, Teerlink said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Teerlink, who has a Ph.D. in marine biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, focuses primarily on humpback whale research. Studies she has conducted on the whales here near Juneau include observing their response to boats — how the animals react course deviations and speed changes — as well as conducting blubber hormone analysis to see if there are measurable long term effects on the whales from being observed so closely.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t