Under the provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and as good stewards of the natural environment, it is incumbent on all U.S. mariners, including operators of Do D vessels, to avoid strikes and “near misses” of whales and other mammalian species. Current methods of performing this task primarily rely on human watch standers using binoculars. This is less than ideal even in conditions of good visibility, since humans are subject to fatigue and inattention, and marine mammals may only surface for fleeting periods of time. In conditions of poor visibility, the potential for overlooking presence of mammals increases. It is possible that automated solutions, either instead of or in addition to human observers, may be more effective than current methods.
