A new law requiring all boaters to stay a minimum of 1,000 yards away from endangered southern resident orcas in Washington waters is now in effect.
The law aims to protect southern resident orcas from noise caused by boat traffic, which could affect their likelihood of hunting prey such as Chinook salmon. Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5371 in 2023, with the law going into effect Jan. 1 of this year.
The southern resident population continues to decline — the latest Center for Whale Research census tallied 73…