This is in Australia not the US and regulations are quite different. It also would be unsafe to do so in the open ocean conditions we were in. The company we were out with is extremely knowledgeable and respectful operating around these whales as they have been for over a decade.
The vessel was in neutral. Guidelines are different country to country and this was in Australia. It would have been unsafe to turn off the motors of this vessel in the open ocean conditions but with the boat in neutral the props were not spinning.