Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies
Shipping 2019 Featured-1

The new Blue Whales and Blue Skies website (www.BlueWhalesBlueSkies.org) has been launched with additional features and resources. Please visit the site for new content and future program updates.

Overview

Every year, ocean-going vessels make thousands of transits in the shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel region and along the California coast.  These vessels are a significant source of air pollution and ship strikes on endangered blue, humpback, and fin whales.  The Vessel Speed Reduction incentive program is a voluntary program where the District and its partners ask the vessel operators to slow down to a speed of 10 knots or less, which reduces air pollution,  fatal strikes on endangered whales, and ocean noise. For more information, please visit www.BlueWhalesBlueSkies.org.

Success of the VSR Program Throughout the Years

For a comparison on how the program has been growing throughout the years, please see the table below.

Additional Information