Killer Whales Attack

[MichaelC]

I have sailed in close company with gray, sperm, humpback, orca whales and pilot whales. I have never felt threatened by any but a gray. we were north bound from Cabo, off Ensenada, when we spied a pair of grays with a calf. The nurse did not like our proximity, and charged us. she came very close on thre sides of the sloop, one after the other, close enough to see her eyes, feel her breath. She deliberately rocked the boat with her flukes, though made no attempt to actually touch us. We changed course.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by MichaelC

I have sailed in close company with gray, sperm, humpback, orca whales and pilot whales. I have never felt threatened by any but a gray. we were north bound from Cabo, off Ensenada, when we spied a pair of grays with a calf. The nurse did not like our proximity, and charged us. she came very close on thre sides of the sloop, one after the other, close enough to see her eyes, feel her breath. She deliberately rocked the boat with her flukes, though made no attempt to actually touch us. We changed course.

In every case I've read of greys attacking it was a proximity issue. They don't like boats being nearby.

If my ancestors had been hunted to near extinction by people in boats I might be a bit touchy myself; not that I'm suggesting this is why but if they want a little space I say give it to them.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by MichaelC

I have sailed in close company with gray, sperm, humpback, orca whales and pilot whales. I have never felt threatened by any but a gray. we were north bound from Cabo, off Ensenada, when we spied a pair of grays with a calf. The nurse did not like our proximity, and charged us. she came very close on thre sides of the sloop, one after the other, close enough to see her eyes, feel her breath. She deliberately rocked the boat with her flukes, though made no attempt to actually touch us. We changed course.

Wow. That would have scared the hell out of me!

Ironically, I'm much more afraid of "grazing" whales (with baleen), than "hunting" whales (with teeth). Hunters are very smart and very aware of their surroundings. Grazers are not so much aware. Most collisions and accidental breaching accidents are with grazers who just don't even know you're there.

There was a grey whale in Oak Bay near Victoria, BC a couple years ago, in amongst all the anchored boats. A friend of mine who was living aboard in the bay watched the whale run straight into a wooden piling head first. Ouch. The piling shook but survived.

When I'm in a kayak near humpbacks I always watch out for a ring of bubbles around me. Humpbacks sometimes fish with "bubble nets". They'll lay a ring of bubbles to heard the little fishies together, then come up vertically through and break the surface with their mouth open and full of fish. I always get this image of seeing a ring of bubbles around my kayak and then suddenly getting swallowed from below...

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Wow. That would have scared the hell out of me!

Ironically, I'm much more afraid of "grazing" whales (with baleen), than "hunting" whales (with teeth). Hunters are very smart and very aware of their surroundings. Grazers are not so much aware. Most collisions and accidental breaching accidents are with grazers who just don't even know you're there.

There was a grey whale in Oak Bay near Victoria, BC a couple years ago, in amongst all the anchored boats. A friend of mine who was living aboard in the bay watched the whale run straight into a wooden piling head first. Ouch. The piling shook but survived.

When I'm in a kayak near humpbacks I always watch out for a ring of bubbles around me. Humpbacks sometimes fish with "bubble nets". They'll lay a ring of bubbles to heard the little fishies together, then come up vertically through and break the surface with their mouth open and full of fish. I always get this image of seeing a ring of bubbles around my kayak and then suddenly getting swallowed from below...

The grazing whale thing makes sense to me. The Homer Simpson's of the sea.

In the case of the humpbacks, wouldn't they be somewhat careful about getting a mouthful of log when they come up. Do you think they are unaware of surface obstructions?

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by hummingway

The grazing whale thing makes sense to me. The Homer Simpson's of the sea.

In the case of the humpbacks, wouldn't they be somewhat careful about getting a mouthful of log when they come up. Do you think they are unaware of surface obstructions?

LOL, the Homer Simpsons of the sea! My wife the whale biologist laughed at that one.

More than one boat has been hit by a humpback that didn't know it was there. I can think of three examples off the top of my head. Not something to stress about as it's super rare, but never assume they know you're there! Logs aren't actually that common except in areas of heavy logging, and they're not something natural that the whales evolved to expect (kinda like boats, actually).

[Capt Phil]

My experience with the killer whale species occurred several times in Blackfish Sound between Alert Bay and Village Island, an indian settlement near the top end of Vancouver Island. These pods frequented the area hunting salmon and had developed amazing skills of charging the bunt of the seine nets but always avoiding colliding with our seine boat and power skiff. They were difficult to deter when they set their minds on tearing the nets to get at the salmon.
Older natives would relate tales of these Orcas patrolling the upper reaches of Rivers, Bute and Toba inlets to feed on sockeye headed up to the river mouth to spawn.
Additionally, there is a museum in a small village, an old whaling station, on the Great Ocean Road on Australia's south coast that contains the skeleton of what appears to be a killer whale called Old Ned. For several years, this whale would herd other whales into the bay where they would be slaughtered for commercial use. The whalers would leave the dead whales tied to bouys for a couple of days to allow Old Ned to eat out the tongues for which he had developed a taste. Then the whalers would haul the remains ashore for rendering. When Old Ned died, whaling became too difficult and the whalers memorialized him by bringing his carcass ashore and mounting his skeleton in this small museum.
Stories like this alway amaze me where certain species of animals learn to work with or take advantage of mans activities to survive. Capt Phil

[hummingway]

OK, a friend sent this link and it seems so apropos:
Crow filmed using lid as snowboard

[webejammin]

Here's a little Orca action using a pinguin as a socker ball
Very Lucky Gentoo penguin saved by jumping on the boat, running from by killer Whales - YouTube

Notice the one looking right at the folks in the dingy like reading there mind.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by webejammin

Here's a little Orca action using a pinguin as a socker ball
Very Lucky Gentoo penguin saved by jumping on the boat, running from by killer Whales - YouTube

Notice the one looking right at the folks in the dingy like reading there mind.

This got posted in another thread and it really is wonderful but I got to say the music creeps me out a bit in the first half, while the whales are busily chomping down little penguins the gentle strains of safety in his hands seems a little misplaced.