Question Earthority!

“In the lush waters of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, whale watching is one of the region’s most beloved — and jaw-dropping — experiences. … But a new study says whale-watching boats are going too fast near whales, endangering them and disregarding a decade-old pledge to slow down. As part of the study, published this month in the journal Conservation Biology, researchers went undercover 46 times in 2003-2004 on ships owned by New England’s whale-watching companies. Armed with global positioning system units, the observers recorded time, speed, and location at 5-second intervals. Every trip exceeded the voluntary speed limits, sometimes more than threefold, they found.” (04/28/08)