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Whale-watching up close... TOO CLOSE!

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/21/2012 : 14:05:17

[url="http://www.soundingsonline.com/dispatches/288568-video-breaching-whale-sinks-bluewater-sailboat"]The Story.[/url]

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2012 : 14:26:59

Not much you can do in a situation like that. I was motor sailing, with the stereo blasting, off Carlsbad, CA one afternoon when a Blue Whale surfaced about 20 yards off my starboard side and heading toward me at about a 45 degree approach. I turned slightly to starboard and he passed by me about 10 feet off my port stern. I was surprised he was so close with an engine running and stereo blasting. I think he was equally surprised to see me (if he ever did.) Blue Whales are the largest known mammal to ever exist approaching 100 feet in length. Surprisingly I was never concerned and just eased out of his way. A buddy with me was dozing and when I alerted him he jumped up and tried to run around the cockpit before he settled down. At 6’-7” tall and over 300 lbs. I think he may have been the bigger threat!

Here is a picture of a Blue Whale at a distance of about 100 yards I took while on the way back from Catalina Island.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2012 : 18:27:20

Fortunate to see it. I saw one decades ago in the central Pacific and will never forget it.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2012 : 11:24:14

Great sighting of the blue whale. Such a rare experience! Too bad about the guy in the lead story. The report said he was on the last leg of an around the world sailing adventure.

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Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2012 : 13:51:10

Yeah....too bad about the boat and the voyage ending that way....but at least he had an EPIRB that saved his life.....guess we better add "whaleproof" to the list of requirements of a "bluewater" boat....

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2012 : 14:57:21

Dunno if there's such an animal as a "whale-proof" boat. This guy was pretty lucky. I read that he had four bilge pumps running and it couldn't keep up with the inflow. From the photos I've seen it didn't look like the boat was riding all that low in the water, but I'm hardly going to Monday morning QB his decision to bail.

As much time as I've spent on the ocean, I've never seen a whale that I'm aware of. Lots of dolphins & porpoises, yes. I'm hopeful of seeing a pod of killer whales here in the sound at some point, but so far, nada. One of my all time favorite pictures is one I took down the starboard hawsepipe of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_W._Pless"]USNS Stephen W. Pless[/url] as we were transiting the Atlantic. Seven porpoises surfing our bow wave, and they sat there for about two days. I need to find that set of photos and scan them.

I have seen grey whales feeding in the surf in Baja California, something I've never forgotten. Enormous whales in water not much deeper than my head, deliberately rolling in the surf. I'm assuming they were feeding, but maybe they were scrubbing their skin in the sand? There were about half a dozen of them less than 100 yards from the back porch of the house we were renting in La Fonda.

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Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2012 : 18:42:15

I was just being silly with "whaleproof".....kinda making fun of the "bluewater" boat threads on other forums.

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 06:26:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Joe Diver
 I was just being silly with "whaleproof".....kinda making fun of the "bluewater" boat threads on other forums.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hmmm... Well I will agree that my "bluewater" friends and I are often rather opinionated, I suspect that most of us think this guy missed a few pages on the bluewater boards.

"He saw some whales, he was whale watching, and then one breached the surface and he lost his rudder, propeller and he was taking on water," United States Coast Guard Lt. Amy Kefarl said.

This is where I lose it. Read 66 Days Adrift or any number of tales involving whales and small craft. If you see a whale, turn around, go anywhere else. Do not whale watch.

Collision avoidance would certainly include big ass whales! Nothing to see here, move along, rent the DVD.

But you really don't want to know what I think of the Hunter that ran into a charted island on a routine hop from Newport to Ensenada.

sten

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 06:41:42

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 Dunno if there's such an animal as a "whale-proof" boat. This guy was pretty lucky. I read that he had four bilge pumps running and it couldn't keep up with the inflow. From the photos I've seen it didn't look like the boat was riding all that low in the water, but I'm hardly going to Monday morning QB his decision to bail.

As much time as I've spent on the ocean, I've never seen a whale that I'm aware of. Lots of dolphins & porpoises, yes. I'm hopeful of seeing a pod of killer whales here in the sound at some point, but so far, nada. One of my all time favorite pictures is one I took down the starboard hawsepipe of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_W._Pless"]USNS Stephen W. Pless[/url] as we were transiting the Atlantic. Seven porpoises surfing our bow wave, and they sat there for about two days. I need to find that set of photos and scan them.

I have seen grey whales feeding in the surf in Baja California, something I've never forgotten. Enormous whales in water not much deeper than my head, deliberately rolling in the surf. I'm assuming they were feeding, but maybe they were scrubbing their skin in the sand? There were about half a dozen of them less than 100 yards from the back porch of the house we were renting in La Fonda.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

La Fonda? Between Rosarita and ensenada? Stay there many a time at the Russian guys cliffside resort - if you can call it that... Nice place...

sten

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 20:18:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">If you see a whale, turn around, go anywhere else. Do not whale watch.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Are you kidding? Seeing a whale wild in the ocean is one of the greatest experiences you can encounter. Common sense tells one to maintain a safe distance. Federal regulations require you to stay 100 yards from any whale while in a boat in US waters. I hope if any of you ever have that opportunity you do not tuck tail and run.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 22:13:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
La Fonda? Between Rosarita and ensenada? Stay there many a time at the Russian guys cliffside resort - if you can call it that... Nice place...

sten
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Are you talking about the place hanging off the side of the cliff? I've never actually been there, but seen it lots of times.

We'd almost always stop at La Media Casa (Halfway House) for BBQ lobster, then pick up a case of Pacifico for $10 (and get $5 back whn we brought the bottles back). I think those days are gone.

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 22:53:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
La Fonda? Between Rosarita and ensenada? Stay there many a time at the Russian guys cliffside resort - if you can call it that... Nice place...

sten
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Are you talking about the place hanging off the side of the cliff? I've never actually been there, but seen it lots of times.

We'd almost always stop at La Media Casa (Halfway House) for BBQ lobster, then pick up a case of Pacifico for $10 (and get $5 back whn we brought the bottles back). I think those days are gone.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That's the place... Private cabanas with fireplace and no curtains. Take a shower facing the beach, loved it...

sten

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 22:57:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Sloop Smitten
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">If you see a whale, turn around, go anywhere else. Do not whale watch.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Are you kidding? Seeing a whale wild in the ocean is one of the greatest experiences you can encounter. Common sense tells one to maintain a safe distance. Federal regulations require you to stay 100 yards from any whale while in a boat in US waters. I hope if any of you ever have that opportunity you do not tuck tail and run.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 06/24/2012 : 07:51:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 .....pick up a case of Pacifico for $10 (and get $5 back whn we brought the bottles back). I think those days are gone.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah....I remember being down at South Padre....going in to Matamoros....and buying a case of Corona for $6.....a mexican case is 20 bottles.....we'd get all our alcohol in Mexico....first day of Spring Break we'd drive to Brownsville and park at the border. Walk into Mexico, rusty van to the market, then each of us would get either a case of beer or a bottle of tequila. Walk it back to the car....then repeat the process. It takes about an hour to do one complete cycle....and they rotate the border agents every 30 mins Usually there were 4 of us, and we'd make 5 or 6 trips. We'd come back to the condo with 15 cases of beer and 9 bottles of tequila.

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