[CINC] Fwd: Whale Strikes Vessel

Wed Apr 15 15:28:18 PDT 2009

I have found in all the years that I've been on whale watching boats (Island
Packers) the whales seem to breach more when the weather is horrible--maybe
the wind and big swells have a possitive effect on these guys--I would like
to think positive and that it is just normal behavior--about 10 years ago we
had a whale breach more than 50x--we stoppped counting--and the weather was
horrible ;0)
Just a thought

Lisa

On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 2:54 PM, <camccleskey at yahoo.com> wrote:

>   Tuesday on the Condor Express was a memorable day for
> Capt. Dave, Bob Perry, as well as the crew,  Howard Fisher
>  and me, on PID duty.
>
> As Bob Perry reported,  we were entertained for over an hour
> by an Mn who breached continually during that time, only taking
> time out to do some pec waving and trumpeting.  I timed his
> intervals, which varied from 20 to 35 seconds, some were full
> breaches that brought a view of the full body, some  half-body
> breaches, for a total of at least 100 breaches within an hour's
> time.  When he approached the stern of the Condor and
> breached, a pectoral fin missing the dive platform by about
> 4 inches, and then dived between the twin hulls, Capt. Dave had
> enough drama, and wisely moved away.  He was still breaching
> as we headed back to the harbor.
> Was this playful, deranged, or behavior to rid his body of some
> irritant ?  Could he have eaten too much domoic tainted fish ?
> Here are some ideas presented by one scientist. Carolyn
>
> During an interview with Hal Whitehead, Research Scientist at the
> University of Dalhousie, Canada, Whales online asked him the following
> question :
> Why do whales breach?
>
> H. W.:
>
> It is estimated that this behaviour often represents the full power of the
> animal*. *The whale leaps out of the water, either vertically or almost
> vertically, only to fall back on its side, its back or its belly. The large
> splashes that result that can be visible from many kilometres away. Breaches
> are often performed in bouts. Extreme is 130 breaches in 75 minutes,
> probably all performed by the same humpback whale in the West Indies!
>
> Not all whales breach this much. The humpback whale, the right whale and
> the sperm whale breach frequently. The minke whale is much more discreet,
> except in the St. Lawrence where its prowess is comparable to that of the
> best "breachers".
>
> So, why do whales breach? Young whales likely breach as a form of play or
> to develop their muscles. Adults likely breach in certain circumstances to
> transmit a message to members of their group. In fact, as breaching requires
> a significant amount of energy, a whale may breach to demonstrate its
> physical abilities; a very convincing signal. Less often, it seems that
> there are other explanations for breaching. It could be a technique to help
> cetaceans feed by stunning or scaring prey. It could be a good way of
> getting rid of external parasites. It could also be a method for inhaling
> water-free air in rough weather. Who knows? What is certain is that this
> behaviour is spectacular for those observing it from the surface!
>
>
> --- On *Tue, 4/14/09, Mr Zalophus <mr.zalophus at gmail.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Mr Zalophus <mr.zalophus at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [CINC] Fwd: Whale Strikes Vessel
> To: "Deborah Lee Clark" <miramarragamuffin at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Deb4nb at aol.com, channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org
> Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 9:10 PM
>
>  Today, on the Condor Express, we watched a single Humpback continually
> breach for over 1.5 hours non-stop.  This was in 30+ knots of wind and 8
> foot seas. Nobody counted but I bet there were over 100 breach sequences.
> Now the reason I mention it is not just to point out that I'll have the
> shots up on my website tomorrow, but to tell you why we left and went home a
> bit early.  It turns out that 2 or 3 of the breaches were right alongside
> the Condor, within 25 or 30 feet!  The Mn would stop its regular breaching
> (if breaching can be called "regular"), head towards the Condor whilst
> pect-slapping, then dive rather close to the boat.  Each of these were
> followed very soon by a full breach next to the boat.  Well, to get to the
> other reason I am sharing this, as I WAS thinking about this Maui report out
> there today, was the final 2 breaches we hung around to witness were
> EXTREMELY close to the stern of the Condor.  One landed within INCHES of the
> swimstep and the splash swamped everyone on the back of the boat.  Capt Dave
> Beezer says the Japanese word for Humpback means "crazy whale."   And this
> one was divinely insane.
>
> I am still shaking....I'm sure Shirley and Howard will report on this
> soon....
>
> Bob Perry
> Malibu High School, and
> UCLA OceanGLOBE
>
> On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 7:01 PM, Deborah Lee Clark <
> miramarragamuffin at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>  Interesting that this article should "surface" now.  I was fortunate to
>> be aboard the Double Dolphin on Friday when the two Mns previously mentioned
>> demonstrated their amazing behavior "up close and personal."  I've been
>> thinking about the fact that they are wild and mysterious animals and need
>> to be treated as such.  Thanks emphasizing that.
>> Deb Clark
>>
>>  ------------------------------
>> *From:* "Deb4nb at aol.com" <Deb4nb at aol.com>
>> *To:* channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org
>> *Sent:* Monday, April 13, 2009 8:48:22 PM
>> *Subject:* [CINC] Fwd: Whale Strikes Vessel
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Inline Message Follows-----
>>
>> **
>> *Hi All,* *Even though this article was posted in February, I just came
>> across it today.  This is a good example that an animal's behavior cannot
>> always be predicted.  I have not heard if this resulted in any injury to the
>> humpback's pectoral. * *Debra*
>> http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/515457.html?nav=10
>> Woman injured when whale strikes vesselBy CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer *POSTED:
>> February 28, 2009*
>> Save<http://www.mauinews.com/?page=mscontent.saveContentMsg&showlayout=0&id=515457&nav=10>|
>> Print<http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/515457.html?nav=10&showlayout=0>|
>> Email<http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/515457.html?nav=10#>
>>
>>
>> LAHAINA - Paramedics took a woman to Maui Memorial Medical Center on
>> Friday afternoon with what appeared to be minor injuries after the fin of a
>> humpback whale struck the research vessel she was on in West Maui waters.
>>
>> Maui Police Department Lahaina Division Capt. Charles Hirata said the
>> vessel Hokulani reported the pectoral fin strike about 1:25 p.m. The crew
>> was near a pod of whales when one whale went under the boat and came up on
>> the starboard side, Hirata said.
>>
>> The victim is a 61-year-old Bremerton, Wash., woman who was on a
>> whale-watching expedition aboard the Hokulani of the Center for Whale
>> Studies, Hirata said.
>>
>> It was the second time in six years that the well-known Centers for Whale
>> Studies has been involved in an unusual incident in Maui waters.
>>
>> In April 2003, a marlin speared Mark Ferrari, the nonprofit whale center's
>> co-director, through the right shoulder while Ferrari swam three miles off
>> the West Maui coast with a pod of false killer whales.
>>
>> Aside from his research publications, Ferrari also gives presentations on
>> whales and has been a consultant for films and television documentaries.
>>
>> Mark Ferrari and wife, Debbie Ferrari, his research partner, have split
>> their time between Louisiana and Maui and have been coming to the Valley
>> Isle to study humpback whales since the 1970s.
>>
>> Friday's collision also involved the Ferraris, said Randy Awo, state
>> Department of Land and Natural Resources Maui branch chief for the
>> Conservation and Resources Enforcement Division.
>>
>> However, Awo said he was unable to identify the victim of Friday's
>> encounter with a whale.
>>
>> Hirata said that on Friday the whale's fin came down and crushed a thin
>> railing on the 26-foot, twin-outboard catamaran. The woman, who was standing
>> in the bow of the small boat, was thrown to the deck and hit her head. She
>> was conscious and alert when the ambulance took her to the hospital, Hirata
>> said.
>>
>> Another crew member suffered a leg injury during the incident, he said,
>> but did not require medical attention. On Friday evening, police said they
>> had no updated information on the woman's condition, but it appeared that
>> her injuries were minor.
>>
>> Thin pieces of tissue believed to be from the whale were found on the
>> boat's hull, Hirata said. There was no information available on the whale's
>> injuries.
>>
>> "They actually have video of it," Hirata said. "You can see a person
>> standing there and the flipper hitting the side of the boat."
>>
>> Efforts by The Maui News to reach the Ferraris on Friday were
>> unsuccessful.
>>
>> The boat's captain told police he had a permit that allows him to be in
>> close proximity to whales.
>>
>> Naomi McIntosh, superintendent for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whales
>> National Marine Sanctuary, confirmed that the Center for Whales Studies has
>> the required permits to venture near whales, a federally protected
>> endangered species.
>>
>> According to the center's Web site blog at
>> http://www.centerforwhalestudies.org/ the vessel had been sidelined off
>> and on recently because of the gusty wind conditions. The latest entry was
>> from Thursday.
>>
>> McIntosh said sanctuary officials received a report of the incident on the
>> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's animal danger hot line.
>>
>> "This is still under investigation," she said. "The NOAA Office of Law
>> Enforcement will do an investigation and interview all the people involved
>> and make sure we have all the information that's necessary."
>>
>> It was the third strike involving a whale and a vessel in Hawaii this
>> season, McIntosh said. All took place in Maui waters. No injuries were
>> reported in the other two collisions.
>>
>> "This is a perfect reminder to boaters out there: This is the peak of the
>> whale season, and weather conditions make it extremely difficult to see
>> whales at the surface of the water. And when they come up to breathe their
>> mist is carried away quickly by the wind."
>>
>> She said boaters should keep their eyes on the water at all times, watch
>> their speed and always stay at the helm.
>>
>> * Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton at mauinews.com.
>>
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-- 
Lisa

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather we should thank God that such men lived."
-General George S. Patton, Jr.
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