[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Please don't feed the whales!

Grand jury indicts marine biologist for allegedly feeding killer whales in Monterey Bay

By Howard Mintz hmintz@mercurynews.com
Posted: 01/04/2012 04:27:46 PM PST
Updated: 01/04/2012 05:05:40 PM PST

A prominent Monterey marine biologist who specializes in the study of whales finds herself the target of a federal grand jury indictment accusing her of violating various marine mammal protection laws, including two alleged instances in which she fed a killer whale in Monterey Bay's waters.
Nancy Black, whose expertise on killer whales and other species has been featured everywhere from National Geographic to Animal Planet, was charged in San Jose federal court on Wednesday with committing the violations in 2004 and 2005 while operating her whale watching business in Monterey Bay.
The four-page indictment alleges that Black twice violated provisions of federal laws barring a host of activities involving protected marine mammals in national marine sanctuaries such as Monterey Bay. Among other things, the indictment alleges that Black violated provisions that bar the feeding, or attempted feeding, of whales.
In addition, Black is charged with lying to investigators about altering an October 2005 video of a whale watching expedition involving possible illegal contact with a humpback whale in the bay. Monterey Bay was designated one of 13 federal marine sanctuaries in 1992.
Black could not be immediately reached for comment at her company, Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
On her Monterey Bay Whale Watch website, Black is identified as a marine biologist for more than 25 years with expertise on killer whales, and her work in the area has been
cited in a host prominent nature shows and media such as the Today Show.
Black stresses on her whale watch site that her group "carefully respects these animals" and follows "all whale watch guidelines."
She does not yet have a date for her first court appearance.