OLYMPIA, Wash. - A new state law effective June 12, 2008 requires that boaters stay at least 100 yards away from orca whales in Puget Sound.
Any boater who comes within 100 yards of the whales must immediately stop, put the engine in neutral and allow the whales to pass.
It is also now unlawful to feed orcas.
About 90 orcas live in Puget Sound and are on the Federal Endangered Species Act.