Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary invites the public to attend a virtual workshop to learn about safe and lawful wildlife viewing and boating practices around marine mammals and sea turtles in Hawaii waters.
The workshop is slated for 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. It is free and open to the public. Whale and dolphin enthusiasts, boat captains, ocean tour operators and other ocean users are encouraged to attend.
Those who want to attend can register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6461852235835070734.
Federal and state officials will discuss how to legally interact with protected marine wildlife according to the existing state laws, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Lacey Act.
Featured speakers will include Ed Lyman (sanctuary disentanglement), Marc Lammers (sanctuary research), Ryan Jenkinson (state Department of Land and Natural Resources), Adam Kurtz (National Marine Fisheries Service-marine mammals and sea turtles), Brian Christy (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement) and Elizabeth O’Sullivan (NOAA Enforcement General Counsel)
Portions of the webinar will be recorded and made available to the public at a future date.
For more information, contact Allen Tom, sanctuary superintendent, at allen.tom@noaa.gov.