> If you want to be "consistent with respecting and protecting them" > you need to realize that ANY human contact is a potential threat to > protected species. What part of the APPLICATION OF THE FEDERAL PROTECTION > LAW TO YOUR ACTONS do you not get? > "Any" human contact? There's a rehab facility for orphaned and starving seal pups near here. It's difficult to imagine the people working so hard to keep them alive and rehabilitate them so they can be returned to their natural habitat in a healthy state are a potential threat to these starving creatures. My understanding about the protection act is that while you cannot paddle up to the marine wildlife, if they approach you (which is what Keith is saying about the whales, I believe), that is not considered harassment. Keith did not say that he intentionally approached the seals but that he was surprised by them and, though they slipped into the water, they did not panic. He added this was an unrestricted area. He also did not say when he saw the whales he and Megan paddled off in their direction chasing after them. Keith said they rafted up and sat there watching as the whales surfaced near them.. surprising Keith and Megan. Often the wildlife is curious and will investigate *you* (dolphins do this as well as seals and sea lions and other marine life). Give the guy a break. He was following the rules. He wasn't chasing down or harassing, but observing, the way I read his account. Keith was relaying to us a pleasant story that just about any one of us can appreciate because how many times have we talked about the wildlife we've seen while out paddling and that being one of the primary reasons we love the sport? One of my most hopeful expectations when heading out along the Gulf of Mexico coast is that I will see the dolphins. I am rarely disappointed. I hope to "catch" a glimpse of a manatee or two, also :-) Cheers! Jackie ,/7_ ,/7_ ,/7_ / _`, / _`, / _`, (.)\7 \|_, (.)\7 \|_, (.)\7 \|_, 0 /^~' 0 /^~' 0 /^~' ` ` ' ` ` ' ` ` ' ``,'' ``,'' ``,'' );( );( );( ~~~~~~~~~~~'' ~ ``~~~~~~~~~~'' ~ ``~~~~~~~~~~'' ~ ``~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~ sss ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ S( )S ~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ___ {|||} ___ ~ ~~ ~ (___>=====_at_V{___}V_at_=====<___) ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ( ^ ) ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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