Drones are required to maintain an elevation of no less than 1,000 feet when within a half nautical-mile radius (about 3,038 feet or 925 metres) of any marine mammal, including whales. That should be considered when deciding on which drone is most appropriate.
You are located in Vancouver, Canada, is the 1,000 foot rule a Canadian rule?
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Actually, with these specs, it's more a job for the James Webb Space Telescope...
Thanks for sharing this information. I did not know there were established guidelines!You are located in Vancouver, Canada, is the 1,000 foot rule a Canadian rule?
The OP is located in Mexico and the rules/laws outright prohibit it… UAVs cannot be flown over people or animals. Operators, whether individuals or corporations, are required to respect all laws and regulations, both federal and local.
And the rules are extremely strict!
Drone Laws in Mexico | UAV Coach (2023)
Want to learn more about drone laws in Mexico? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in Mexico.
The rules for boats in Mexico allow authorized vessels to approach whales no closer than 200ft (330ft for blue and fin whales). Vessels with no whale watching permits have to keep 800ft distance.
In the US, the legal approach distance for unmanned aircraft, such as drones, is 100 yards or 300 feet for humpback whales in Hawaii. Although, the legal approach distance for other marine mammals and in other states has not yet been established, this does not mean that it is safe to fly your drone around marine mammals. Due to the FAA rule that requires drones to fly below 133 yards/400 feet, if you fly your drone above a marine mammal you could potentially be harassing the animal and be in violation of the MMPA and ESA for protected species. Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) recommends taking the precautionary approach; if you spot a marine mammal or sea turtle while operating your drone, do not linger above or follow the animal.
The rule for approaching whales in a boat are much the same… Federal law requires vessels to remain 100 yards away from humpback whales in Hawaii and Alaska waters, 200 yards from killer whales in Washington State inland waters, and 500 yards away from North Atlantic right whales throughout U.S. waters.
We all know it is done and probably most are illegally performed (nothing like seeing the reflection of the drone off the whales back…)
Thanks for the compliment and for the tip. I will certainly look up the agency you mentioned. Awesome!
How does that work? Don't you have to provide the physical drone in the event of loss? Do they look at the logs to confirm it was not pilot error? I always assumed the burden of proof would be high in getting a payout.
Didn’t know either- good post. Mexico used to be open to pretty much any whale encounter back when we used to visit. Scammon’s Lagoon and Magdelena Bay in Baja had tours all the time. Glad to see they’ve changed for the benefit of the whales.You are located in Vancouver, Canada, is the 1,000 foot rule a Canadian rule?
The OP is located in Mexico and the rules/laws outright prohibit it… UAVs cannot be flown over people or animals. Operators, whether individuals or corporations, are required to respect all laws and regulations, both federal and local.
And the rules are extremely strict!
Drone Laws in Mexico | UAV Coach (2023)
Want to learn more about drone laws in Mexico? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in Mexico.
The rules for boats in Mexico allow authorized vessels to approach whales no closer than 200ft (330ft for blue and fin whales). Vessels with no whale watching permits have to keep 800ft distance.
In the US, the legal approach distance for unmanned aircraft, such as drones, is 100 yards or 300 feet for humpback whales in Hawaii. Although, the legal approach distance for other marine mammals and in other states has not yet been established, this does not mean that it is safe to fly your drone around marine mammals. Due to the FAA rule that requires drones to fly below 133 yards/400 feet, if you fly your drone above a marine mammal you could potentially be harassing the animal and be in violation of the MMPA and ESA for protected species. Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) recommends taking the precautionary approach; if you spot a marine mammal or sea turtle while operating your drone, do not linger above or follow the animal.
The rule for approaching whales in a boat are much the same… Federal law requires vessels to remain 100 yards away from humpback whales in Hawaii and Alaska waters, 200 yards from killer whales in Washington State inland waters, and 500 yards away from North Atlantic right whales throughout U.S. waters.
We all know it is done and probably most are illegally performed (nothing like seeing the reflection of the drone off the whales back…)
