October 29, 2025 — Beginning Saturday, vessels 65 feet or longer traveling along areas of the mid-Atlantic must maintain speeds of 10 knots or slower.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries implements the speed limit through seasonal management areas for North Atlantic right whales each year to reduce the threat of vessel collisions.
Ship collisions are a leading cause of death to these critically endangered whales, of which there are believed to be fewer than 400 on the planet.