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justanothersail · 07-10-2021, 07:35

Recently off Spain & Portugal yachts have been damaged by aggressive Killer Whale pods. Anyone have experience and advice on how to hopefully not sustain damage? Any suggestions using firecrackers to or other means to keep them at a distance?

2022 Golden Globe Race Entrant

TheOffice · 07-10-2021, 07:50

Search Orcas. Several threads on the subject.

Good luck on the Race!!

**GordMay** · 07-10-2021, 08:30

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, just'.

**GordMay** · 29-07-2023, 03:45

He’s big, he’s beautiful and he’s back: Old Thom returns to the Bay of Fundy

New Brunswick’s favourite orca is back to enjoy his summer swim.

Video ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2249801795771

Old Thom [AKA: Old Tom], not to be confused with the Australian orca, of the same name, is a solitary adult Northwest
Atlantic killer whale. He has been sighted off the coast of northern New England, and Eastern Canada - mostly in/near the Bay of Fundy - since at least 2010.

According to Orca Conservancy, Old Thom is an extremely large bull, at 30 ft. in length, and an estimated 8 tons in weight [16000 lb.] .
He has a distinctive notch, on the trailing edge of his dorsal fin, at about a quarter way down from the tip. Like most large adult male orcas, his fluke tips are curved. He appears to have an overbite.

Although his exact diet is unknown, Old Thom likely consumes fish [as opposed to marine mammals]. Tony LaCasse, of the New England Aquarium stated, in 2016, that he has never been seen eating seals by the aquarium's researchers [1].
According to a 2022 comment by Orca Conservancy, Old Thom has been observed eating cod, pollock, and hake - all common groundfish [2]. They also state that he will eat discarded fish from trawlers.
Fascinatingly, the organization stated, "we have fishermen friends who work in the Bay of Fundy that swear Old Thom eats sharks and might be following the shark migration".

Old Thom is often seen in the company of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, with whom he appears to have an affiliative relationship [3]. Unusually, he has never been seen with other orcas.

He is known to approach vessels, lobtail, pec slap, and breach.

[1] ➥ https://www.boston.com/news/local-ne...hting-chatham/

[2] ➥ https://www.facebook.com/OrcaConserv...381642&__cft__[0]=AZX1Isqfhve2a_xfX5teyn8GydTBb2sqwx_zeE1rDAb8sBakW _s9YUPCsCY4neWYfWWswPcy4DnZlvdYmuDjse7_F6aqQpBJ-2PGXKXW4n9UuTA7NxrLC-WZTYPQZq-2l4kIrhWIxaJqmPOq5L52Q-vo&__tn__=R]-R

[3] ➥ https://cottagelife.com/general/meet...y-of-dolphins/

MicHughV · 29-07-2023, 05:25

Orca's were sighted in the Florida Keys just recently...in living memory, I can't recall Orca's that far south ?? Especially now, with seawater temps at an all time high...
Could be they are all on the move....

**GordMay** · 29-07-2023, 05:43

I saw an Orca, porpoising along [Eastbound] the Exuma Bank, twixt Normans & Staniel Cay, back in the 1990s.
I couldn't fathom what he was doing there.

chubby · 29-07-2023, 07:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordMay

I saw an Orca, porpoising along [Eastbound] the Exuma Bank, twixt Normans & Staniel Cay, back in the 1990s.
I couldn't fathom what he was doing there.

i know there is a pod (transients?) that is frequently spotted near shore of the samana province in (northwest)dominican republic...

...they they've been spotted on the south of the island too..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIuT77_ExPw

...and i know there is a (resident?) pod offshore of the kitesurf beach on margarita island n venezuela...

amazing creatues...

**skipperpete** · 29-07-2023, 16:42

I think the orcas that once patrolled the waters around Twofold bay have been discussed on the forum in the past but Gordmay’s post prompted me to revisit that part of Australian history. I’d almost forgotten about the odd relationship that existed between the Orca’s and the whalers for close to 90 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer...ew_South_Wales

plang732 · 20-09-2023, 01:20

Hi,

I put 3 PDF studies (analysis, solutions, review) for free to download from the page Pierre LANG et Thoè - Orcas Interactions about the Analysis and Possible solutions in case of orcas attack.

The unencoded URL is www(dot)thoe(dot)be(slash)orcas

Pierre