Orca videos
- Thread starter chucko
- Start date
Pacificcoast101
Member
These were taken by our friend in the first video I posted.
When humans visit a wild animal's natural habitat, we need to be respectful
and courteous by keeping some (recommended) distance in between. Too
close can put you and the animal at needless risk. Tragedy on this account
happens more than you might think.
Remember Icarus, who ignored his father's advice of not flying "too close to
the sun". As he disobeyed, his wax wings melted, he fell to earth and drowned
in the sea.
Aye.
Grandma used to say, "An invitation is required for someone to get too close
and enter your personal space."
and courteous by keeping some (recommended) distance in between. Too
close can put you and the animal at needless risk. Tragedy on this account
happens more than you might think.
Remember Icarus, who ignored his father's advice of not flying "too close to
the sun". As he disobeyed, his wax wings melted, he fell to earth and drowned
in the sea.
Aye.
Grandma used to say, "An invitation is required for someone to get too close
and enter your personal space."
Pacificcoast101
Member
Agree 100%, but on this particular day, the Orcas kept coming over to us. They would swim under the boat and along side. We never had the motors in gear whenever they were within 100 feet.
Pacificcoast101
Member
They weren't aggressive at all, in fact, were even mating next to our friend's boat. She was there for an hour before we got there and we stayed for another hour. One of the Orcas would come alongside us and turn sideways, waving a pectoral fin at us. When we decided to leave, the Orcas stayed with our friend's boat until she left.
Watching them mate??? And, you think they enjoyed that... because they did
not appear aggressive?
"Waving a pectoral fin" at you may be their way of giving you "the finger."
Do you realize how close the "love center" and the "anger center" is in the
mammalian midbrain?
Their well known "bonding" behavior, including "rubbing" (foreplay), with
their kind weighing thousands of pounds may result in an unexpected
traumatic experience with a small boat or human.
Approaching orcas in their open wild sea state may approach their history
of unpredictable action with human contact in captivity which may induce
unnatural behavior including aggression toward humans.
Aye.
not appear aggressive?
"Waving a pectoral fin" at you may be their way of giving you "the finger."
Do you realize how close the "love center" and the "anger center" is in the
mammalian midbrain?
Their well known "bonding" behavior, including "rubbing" (foreplay), with
their kind weighing thousands of pounds may result in an unexpected
traumatic experience with a small boat or human.
Approaching orcas in their open wild sea state may approach their history
of unpredictable action with human contact in captivity which may induce
unnatural behavior including aggression toward humans.
Aye.
Phil, great photos, thanks for sharing them!
After seeing the circus of commercial whale watching boats off of San Juan Island 2 years ago I will no longer intentionally seek them out. But to completely avoid orcas in the San Juans would mean no boating at all. They can move faster than most of our C-Dorys and seemingly come out of nowhere. In 40 years of boating in the San Juans, the vast majority of my sightings here have been completely unexpected. Last year at the Friday Harbor CBGT one suddenly surfaced right between the two breakwater floats in the marina as several of us were standing on the dock talking! A couple years back a pod came into Ewing Cove on Sucia while I was eating breakfast, and then continued on into Echo Bay where 100 or more boats were anchored. I first heard one surface about 20 feet off the back of my boat and thought the inflatable dinghy had exploded it was so loud and startling. I wasn't quick enough with the camera but managed to get a few shots as they continued on in and around the other boats at anchor.
After seeing the circus of commercial whale watching boats off of San Juan Island 2 years ago I will no longer intentionally seek them out. But to completely avoid orcas in the San Juans would mean no boating at all. They can move faster than most of our C-Dorys and seemingly come out of nowhere. In 40 years of boating in the San Juans, the vast majority of my sightings here have been completely unexpected. Last year at the Friday Harbor CBGT one suddenly surfaced right between the two breakwater floats in the marina as several of us were standing on the dock talking! A couple years back a pod came into Ewing Cove on Sucia while I was eating breakfast, and then continued on into Echo Bay where 100 or more boats were anchored. I first heard one surface about 20 feet off the back of my boat and thought the inflatable dinghy had exploded it was so loud and startling. I wasn't quick enough with the camera but managed to get a few shots as they continued on in and around the other boats at anchor.
The following is excerpted from this link: https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/orca/v ... tions.html
Theses laws apply to a boat approaching whales. I couldn't find any laws restricting whales from approaching a boat.
The Washington Legislature passed a law (RCW 77.15.740) in 2008 placing legal restrictions on the activities of vessels near the whales... This law was updated in 2012 to correspond with current federal regulations. Violation of the law is a civil infraction that carries penalties of up to $1,025.
These regulations make it unlawful to:
Approach within 200 yards of a southern resident whale;
Position a vessel to be in the path of a southern resident whale at any point located within 400 yards of the whale. This includes intercepting a southern resident whale by positioning a vessel so that the prevailing wind or water current carries the vessel into the path of the whale at any point located within 400 yards of the whale. Vessels are defined as including aircraft, canoes, fishing vessels, kayaks, personal watercraft, rafts, recreational vessels, tour boats, whale watching boats, vessels engaged in whale watching activities, or other small craft including power boats and sailboats;
Fail to disengage the transmission of a vessel that is within 200 yards of a southern resident whale; or
Feed a southern resident whale.
Exemptions from the law exist as follow:
Persons operating a federal government vessel in the course of his or her official duties, or operating a state, tribal, or local government vessel when engaged in official duties involving law enforcement, search and rescue, or public safety;
Persons operating a vessel in conjunction with a vessel traffic service established under 33 C.F.R. and following a traffic separation scheme, or complying with a vessel traffic service measure of direction. This also includes support vessels escorting ships in the traffic lanes, such as tug boats;
Engaging in an activity, including scientific research, pursuant to a permit or other authorization from the National Marine Fisheries Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW);
Persons lawfully engaging in a treaty Indian or commercial fishery that is actively setting, retrieving, or closely tending fishing gear;
Persons conducting vessel operations necessary to avoid an imminent and serious threat to a person, vessel, or the environment, including when necessary for overall safety of navigation and to comply with state and federal navigation requirements; or
Persons engaging in rescue or clean-up efforts of a beached southern resident whale overseen, coordinated, or authorized by a volunteer stranding network.
Theses laws apply to a boat approaching whales. I couldn't find any laws restricting whales from approaching a boat.
The Washington Legislature passed a law (RCW 77.15.740) in 2008 placing legal restrictions on the activities of vessels near the whales... This law was updated in 2012 to correspond with current federal regulations. Violation of the law is a civil infraction that carries penalties of up to $1,025.
These regulations make it unlawful to:
Approach within 200 yards of a southern resident whale;
Position a vessel to be in the path of a southern resident whale at any point located within 400 yards of the whale. This includes intercepting a southern resident whale by positioning a vessel so that the prevailing wind or water current carries the vessel into the path of the whale at any point located within 400 yards of the whale. Vessels are defined as including aircraft, canoes, fishing vessels, kayaks, personal watercraft, rafts, recreational vessels, tour boats, whale watching boats, vessels engaged in whale watching activities, or other small craft including power boats and sailboats;
Fail to disengage the transmission of a vessel that is within 200 yards of a southern resident whale; or
Feed a southern resident whale.
Exemptions from the law exist as follow:
Persons operating a federal government vessel in the course of his or her official duties, or operating a state, tribal, or local government vessel when engaged in official duties involving law enforcement, search and rescue, or public safety;
Persons operating a vessel in conjunction with a vessel traffic service established under 33 C.F.R. and following a traffic separation scheme, or complying with a vessel traffic service measure of direction. This also includes support vessels escorting ships in the traffic lanes, such as tug boats;
Engaging in an activity, including scientific research, pursuant to a permit or other authorization from the National Marine Fisheries Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW);
Persons lawfully engaging in a treaty Indian or commercial fishery that is actively setting, retrieving, or closely tending fishing gear;
Persons conducting vessel operations necessary to avoid an imminent and serious threat to a person, vessel, or the environment, including when necessary for overall safety of navigation and to comply with state and federal navigation requirements; or
Persons engaging in rescue or clean-up efforts of a beached southern resident whale overseen, coordinated, or authorized by a volunteer stranding network.
starcrafttom
Active member
We have had a lot of ocras sightings and have seen them on a regular bases over the years. They can and do go where they want to go. If they want to be away from you they will be in a heart beat. These are fast animals. I have seen them go out of their way to check out boats and ships. Turn around and chase down a ferry to swim in the bow wake. Your boat and your engine noise are of little concern to them. If it was they would swim away and leave you in the dust.
We have gone looking for them to show family and friends. Very easy and you just follow the rules that are in place. I would not want to go on a once in a life time trip to the Islands without getting to see them. Just follow the rules, when the whales let you, and you and they will have a great time. The rules are not new , been there for years, but they do update and adjust distance . My understanding is that the new distances were not going to include the transients, which now make yup the majority of the whale watching trips this last year. But that was when the rules where in the commit stage.
On several occasions , including our very first trip to the Sj's in our own boat the old starcraft, we have had the ocras come to us. We where just floating out side open bay deciding which way to go next, first trip and all, when Riffles came to the surface about 3oo yards away. Next time he surfaced was with in 100ft of the boat and he just swam over and under the boat just below the surface. Went around the boat once more and then swam away. It was the greatest first trip ever. Over the years I have had the same type of thing happen many times. We see them the most when we are not looking for them. Mostly late in the day and as we are running back from fishing.
If you do want to see them just follow and stay to the out side of the tour boats. They know the limits and the laws. Enjoy nature.
Oh to the point of the OPoster. I may have some video I will look for it and post in a few days. I am going through all my old albums on my computer.
We have gone looking for them to show family and friends. Very easy and you just follow the rules that are in place. I would not want to go on a once in a life time trip to the Islands without getting to see them. Just follow the rules, when the whales let you, and you and they will have a great time. The rules are not new , been there for years, but they do update and adjust distance . My understanding is that the new distances were not going to include the transients, which now make yup the majority of the whale watching trips this last year. But that was when the rules where in the commit stage.
On several occasions , including our very first trip to the Sj's in our own boat the old starcraft, we have had the ocras come to us. We where just floating out side open bay deciding which way to go next, first trip and all, when Riffles came to the surface about 3oo yards away. Next time he surfaced was with in 100ft of the boat and he just swam over and under the boat just below the surface. Went around the boat once more and then swam away. It was the greatest first trip ever. Over the years I have had the same type of thing happen many times. We see them the most when we are not looking for them. Mostly late in the day and as we are running back from fishing.
If you do want to see them just follow and stay to the out side of the tour boats. They know the limits and the laws. Enjoy nature.
Oh to the point of the OPoster. I may have some video I will look for it and post in a few days. I am going through all my old albums on my computer.
I maintain happening upon and enjoying the encounter with a majestic wild
creature by chance is one thing. It's occurred to me a few times. It is truly
memorable.
Intentionally seeking them out is very different especially when it can be to
their detriment. This makes it all about us. How can we say we respect them
by being intrusive?
Aye.
creature by chance is one thing. It's occurred to me a few times. It is truly
memorable.
Intentionally seeking them out is very different especially when it can be to
their detriment. This makes it all about us. How can we say we respect them
by being intrusive?
Aye.
starcrafttom
Active member
I find nothing wrong with seeking them out as long as you follow the rules. which I always do even if the whales dont. To each there own but ridiculing people for doing what is legal is not helpful. Enough said. Go out and enjoy the world.
The injustice is the animals don't get a copy of the rules and would be
just fine without our presence, which they were, long before humans
began boating. Since we've been 'on the scene', they have suffered.
(like much of the planet)
Our intrusion is for out pleasure, not theirs.
Aye.
just fine without our presence, which they were, long before humans
began boating. Since we've been 'on the scene', they have suffered.
(like much of the planet)
Our intrusion is for out pleasure, not theirs.
Aye.