FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. (AP) — A Canadian Navy official says one of its vessels used sonar during a training exercise in the Strait of Juan de Fuca this week.
Navy Lt. Diane Larose says in an email that the ship, HMCS Ottawa, actively used sonar for about an hour Monday morning.
She says there were no reports of marine mammals in the area at the time. She also says the ship followed policy guidelines, including looking out for marine mammals and ceasing sonar operations if they came near.
Environmentalists say sonar shouldn’t be used in an area designated in the U.S. as critical habitat for endangered killer whales. In May 2003, whales were observed acting strangely after a U.S. Navy vessel emitted mid-frequency sonar signals in Haro Strait.