Port Hardy, British Columbia - An investigation by fishery officers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Whale Protection Unit, Fraser Coastal Detachment, has resulted in a hefty fine for Vancouver-based River Road Films Ltd. and their drone operator for operating a drone too close to Northern Resident Killer Whales (NRKWs).
On July 2, 2024, River Road Films Ltd. pleaded guilty to unlawfully capturing drone footage of NRKW activity by operating too close to a pod at a rubbing beach on Vancouver Island. "Beach rubbing" is a unique quirk of the NRKW; they head for shallow waters near the shore, then brush against the smooth pebbles below -an activity that is thought to help scrape off dead skin, strengthen family bonds and feel like a massage.
River Road Films Ltd. was fined $25,000 and prohibited from using or distributing the drone footage. The drone operator, Mathew Hood, was ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. Both the film company and the drone operator are first time offenders. This is the first time a fine was issued in Canada for the unlawful use of a drone to capture killer whale footage. Marine mammals can be disturbed by drones, which are considered to be an aircraft. Drone pilots must follow the rules in the Canadian Aviation Regulations and Marine Mammal Regulations. Under the Marine Mammal Regulations, it is illegal to approach marine mammals with an aerial drone at an altitude below 1000 feet (about 304 metres) and within a half nautical mile (about 926 metres).
