Both species are endangered, but the operating restrictions differ significantly:
| North Atlantic wind leases: right whale restrictions | GoM Lease sale 261: Rice’s whale restrictions |
| No leasing prohibitions or turbine-free areas have been established despite concerns raised by NOAA (see attached letter) | All of the expanded Rice’s whale area is excluded from leasing (i.e. the entire area between the 100 and 400 m isobaths across the GoM) |
| seasonal 10 kt max speed for vessels > 65′ | year round 10 kt max for all vessels |
| vessel separation distance of 500 m for any sighted right whale or unidentified large marine mammal | separation distance of 500 m for any sighted Rice’s whale; if unsure, must assume whale is Rice’s |
| no visibility restrictions for vessel operations | vessels must avoid transit between dusk and dawn and other times of low visibility |
| no automatic identification system (AIS) requirements | vessels > 65′ must have AIS functioning at all times |
| no documentation requirements | must maintain records to document compliance |
Note (below) the proximity of existing and planned wind leases to moderate to high density RIght whale areas compared to the more speculative expanded Rice’s whale area in the central and western GoM that is predicted based on passive acoustic recordings.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 