Purpose
To provide guidance regarding operating close to marine mammals. Follow the direction of the lead agency.
Policy
Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) expects all personnel to adhere to the guidelines below.
Procedure
If in the course of lifesaving duties personnel are required to operate close to marine mammals the following shall apply:
| Requirements | Distance to a Whale | Distance to a Dolphin |
|---|---|---|
| CAUTION ZONE • No Wake Speed • Maximum of 3 vessels • Do not enter caution zone if animals are stranded |
BETWEEN • 100 and 300 metres |
BETWEEN • 50 and 100 metres |
| NO APPROACH ZONE • Do not enter • No waiting in front of direction • Do not approach from the rear |
WITHIN • 100 metres |
WITHIN • 50 metres |
| BOW RIDING • Do not deliberately encourage bow riding • When animals are bow riding do not change course or speed suddenly • If there is a need to stop, gradually reduce speed. |
||
Lifesaving personnel, vessels and/or equipment shall not directly undertake animal/mammal disentanglement operations (i.e. shark net entanglement) as well as approach or deal with any animal/mammal carcasses. This is not a lifesaving activity and falls outside of SLSNSW’s scope of work, SOPs, and relevant insurances. These should be reported to SurfCom for further action.
Lifesaving services may provide in water safety support to other agencies/vessels involved in entanglement operations but shall maintain a 100m (whale), or 50m (dolphin) distance, unless in a life-threatening emergency.
Lifesaving Services may assist with:
- National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officers with their vehicles (e.g. SSV) to tow NPWS trailers/boats
- NPWS boats into the surf zone and with initial reconnaissance of animal
- Advice on launch locations – beach entry and/or boat ramps
- Use of SLSNSW radio for communication
All assistance is subject to sign off from the Duty Officer/Patrol Captain/Lifeguard & IRB/RWC Driver.
Reference
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Service NSW