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Photo: Steve Knight/ Flickr Citizen scientists in the Gulf Islands are worried humpback whales are being stressed by too much time with whale watching vessels.A humpback known as Big Mama and her new calf were followed by an entourage of whale watching boats upwards of five hours a day while in Boundary Pass earlier this week, said Washington-Smyth, co-ordinator for the Southern Gulf Island Whale Sighting Network.Voluntary guidelines suggest whale watching boats only remain 30 minutes with whales, she said.For the most part, whale watching operations obey rules and guidelines, but the pressure on Big Mama and her calf in the early part of the week was “egregious,” Washington-Smyth said.

” Whale watching vessels are ‘lifeguards’ Erin Gless, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, said she hadn’t seen reports or video from the network involving infractions of the regulations, adding the ecotourism group’s members are committed to responsible wildlife viewing.Whale watching vessels would take care to not separate whales from their offspring, she said.