dogon dory
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Close encounter of the Orca kind
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dogon dory
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Perhaps those folks attacked by sharks on the US Gulf Coast, by leaving the water, should be arrested for interrupting the feeding of a marine animal. Some silly posts, great pictures. Best, Zelpha
dogon dory
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Dan,
The reason I have the Canon Digital Rebel is very similar to yours. I have 2 Canon Elans and 5 lenses so it just made sense to get the Rebel when the price point dropped low enough that owning it outweighed the expense! Of course the fact that my wife bought it for me for Christmas helped too!
Too often I have "missed pictures" simply because I left it in the bag when I should have been holding it!
Quite simply those are awsome shots that you will treasure always.
The reason I have the Canon Digital Rebel is very similar to yours. I have 2 Canon Elans and 5 lenses so it just made sense to get the Rebel when the price point dropped low enough that owning it outweighed the expense! Of course the fact that my wife bought it for me for Christmas helped too!
Too often I have "missed pictures" simply because I left it in the bag when I should have been holding it!
Quite simply those are awsome shots that you will treasure always.
I've been trying to avoid the temptation of throwing another log on this fire, but since it keeps coming up I just can't resist.
I too enjoy seeing whales, especially orcas. I've spent a week in Johnstone Strait in B.C. kayaking among them. This was with a kayaking touring company that has been in business for 20 years. They focus their business around seeing and interacting with orcas. We didn't chase them or approach any closer than 100 yards to them. However we did interdict them by putting ourselves in their area and drifting with the current. One morning we spent all morning with combined pods consisting of over 50 whales. I should say they spent all morning with us. They approached our boats and breached, spyhopped and dove under the kayaks. When the big whale watching boats heard they were there and arrived on the scene the whales obviously recognized them. I saw one big male charge up to the boat and put on a show, breaching over and over right next to it to the cheers of the paying customers.
So, were the whales harassed? I don't think so. Was their behavior changed by the presence of humans. Of course it was. They are very intelligent animals with a very complex matriarchal social system.
Last weekend we went to the west side of San Juan Island with several other boats from Blakely to see if we could find the whales. It was pretty easy to find them. All you had to do was to find the big collection of whale watching boats and "whale protection volunteers" in their zodiacs. That area is a circus. The whale watching boats spend their time jumping ahead of where the whales are headed. The "whale protection volunteers" did what those kind of folks like to do in their off time, be officious and irritating. I was keeping my boat way back behind the whale watching boats probably a mile away from the pods working along the shoreline. As we were drifting along with the motor shut down a big male came by right in front of the boat. One of the "volunteers" came screaming up in his zodiac and started hollering "get back, get back, there's a whale coming through". It makes no sense to start your motor in that situation and move, but I followed instructions. In this situation I think the whales are being harassed. But are they being harassed by the private boats that occasionally want to see a whale? Or are they being harassed and loved to death by the professional whale watchers and the "whale protection volunteers? I probably won't follow the pack to see the whales again on a Saturday afternoon. Kind of made me feel like the folks that follow Brad Pitt around with a camera.
Lyle
I too enjoy seeing whales, especially orcas. I've spent a week in Johnstone Strait in B.C. kayaking among them. This was with a kayaking touring company that has been in business for 20 years. They focus their business around seeing and interacting with orcas. We didn't chase them or approach any closer than 100 yards to them. However we did interdict them by putting ourselves in their area and drifting with the current. One morning we spent all morning with combined pods consisting of over 50 whales. I should say they spent all morning with us. They approached our boats and breached, spyhopped and dove under the kayaks. When the big whale watching boats heard they were there and arrived on the scene the whales obviously recognized them. I saw one big male charge up to the boat and put on a show, breaching over and over right next to it to the cheers of the paying customers.
So, were the whales harassed? I don't think so. Was their behavior changed by the presence of humans. Of course it was. They are very intelligent animals with a very complex matriarchal social system.
Last weekend we went to the west side of San Juan Island with several other boats from Blakely to see if we could find the whales. It was pretty easy to find them. All you had to do was to find the big collection of whale watching boats and "whale protection volunteers" in their zodiacs. That area is a circus. The whale watching boats spend their time jumping ahead of where the whales are headed. The "whale protection volunteers" did what those kind of folks like to do in their off time, be officious and irritating. I was keeping my boat way back behind the whale watching boats probably a mile away from the pods working along the shoreline. As we were drifting along with the motor shut down a big male came by right in front of the boat. One of the "volunteers" came screaming up in his zodiac and started hollering "get back, get back, there's a whale coming through". It makes no sense to start your motor in that situation and move, but I followed instructions. In this situation I think the whales are being harassed. But are they being harassed by the private boats that occasionally want to see a whale? Or are they being harassed and loved to death by the professional whale watchers and the "whale protection volunteers? I probably won't follow the pack to see the whales again on a Saturday afternoon. Kind of made me feel like the folks that follow Brad Pitt around with a camera.
Lyle
Excellent post Lyle! I think the one doing the most harrassment in that picture was the volunteers in the Zodiak! Since you were drifting you were much less of a problem than the Zodiak making erratic movements that the whales can't figure out!
As you stated, these whales are very intelligent. I personally feel they like to watch us as much as we like to watch them (as indicated by the story you told and the pictures Dan took of the spy hopping whale checking out their boat). So the boater who shuts down and lets the whales interact on their terms is the correct one. The one who goes around and forces the issue is the one who needs to change their ways. Even if that person is trying to tell you to leave because the whale is too close! Lets face it. If the whales didn't like it they would just find a way to get away from it!
As you stated, these whales are very intelligent. I personally feel they like to watch us as much as we like to watch them (as indicated by the story you told and the pictures Dan took of the spy hopping whale checking out their boat). So the boater who shuts down and lets the whales interact on their terms is the correct one. The one who goes around and forces the issue is the one who needs to change their ways. Even if that person is trying to tell you to leave because the whale is too close! Lets face it. If the whales didn't like it they would just find a way to get away from it!
dogon dory
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Last time I was at Pony Cove getting silvers, when them big basterds showed up... ALL the fishing died-off immediately :xseek
This last trip, (in a bay fer far away) a large pod of them came within 50 yards of RedFox I kept trollin and kept catching to, this time! Wierd :!:
This last trip, (in a bay fer far away) a large pod of them came within 50 yards of RedFox I kept trollin and kept catching to, this time! Wierd :!:
Thanks for the comments. However I wrote this on Friday night at the end of a long hard work week. When I look back at it this morning I think I got sarcastic at the end and violated the rule of "just be nice".
For any of you in the whale watching community, I know you have a hard job in the San Juans with the whales gaining rock star status. They have to be the most popular and watched orcas in the world. Most of the time when I've had contact with the volunteer boats they've been very polite and just given out information. I do have an issue with being "managed" when I come by once a year. I also take issue with people assuming that someone that got a beautiful picture in a remote area is probably violating the whales rights. But again, I apologize for the rude comments.
Lyle
For any of you in the whale watching community, I know you have a hard job in the San Juans with the whales gaining rock star status. They have to be the most popular and watched orcas in the world. Most of the time when I've had contact with the volunteer boats they've been very polite and just given out information. I do have an issue with being "managed" when I come by once a year. I also take issue with people assuming that someone that got a beautiful picture in a remote area is probably violating the whales rights. But again, I apologize for the rude comments.
Lyle
dogon dory
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Bess-C":x90j0pha said:
Not to worry.. you should know some of the stuff I gottaway with :teeth :xnaughty
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Ya know.. I just don't worry bout it myself; I find most marine mammals come scope you out rather than the other way around. If I have photographers with me: look over shoulder and go for the good stuff baby :thup them rules and laws that be are just like anything else... situation ethics. arg! 
Gregg,
We have Orcas here on the N. California coast but I think they are migratory. I wouldn't be surprised if salmon took off when Orcas showed up.
Around the Farralon Islands when Orcas show up the Great Whites disappear. It seems that the Orcas will kill them - I guess because they are competition.
Last year a news crew out on Monterey Bay taking pictures of Grays got some video of a pod of Orcas trying to kill a baby gray. The mother gray was able to get her baby to shallow water where the Orcas won't go. The Orcas will ram the baby gray and try to hold it under to drown it. Then they eat the tongue.
I think the Orcas in the San Jaun and Gulf Islands areas are not that aggressive since the salmon are so easy to get.
We have Orcas here on the N. California coast but I think they are migratory. I wouldn't be surprised if salmon took off when Orcas showed up.
Around the Farralon Islands when Orcas show up the Great Whites disappear. It seems that the Orcas will kill them - I guess because they are competition.
Last year a news crew out on Monterey Bay taking pictures of Grays got some video of a pod of Orcas trying to kill a baby gray. The mother gray was able to get her baby to shallow water where the Orcas won't go. The Orcas will ram the baby gray and try to hold it under to drown it. Then they eat the tongue.
I think the Orcas in the San Jaun and Gulf Islands areas are not that aggressive since the salmon are so easy to get.
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seabran":3i1j8qs4 said:
Yeah, I lost any "warm fuzzy feeling" in my soul after I saw this on a good TV show on orcas. It was a baby blue they all seceded in getting the tongue out of :crook Everytime I run across them; I always think of the horror stories of orcas and some sorry boat that got shredded :shock: Ever see them bat-around a sea lion... there mean basterds I'm tellin ya
:xLyle: OK, I was on a boat farther from shore as we were following your vessel from Blakely. You need not appoligize for your ACCURATE comment about the zodiac. Being from Bama, that simply one more time this trip with thoughtful, water loving C-Dory owners provided me with a 1st time event. Yes, that is the 1st time I have seen the Orca in real life. Yes, I too have seen the TV shows...particuarly the seals that RedFox speaks of. Some thoughts went thru my mind as we drifted.
1st was, Thanks God for providing this event in my life and bless these folks who made it possible.
2nd was, Byrdman...keep in mind you might just look like a seal if they have aged and are not wearing their glasses.....(seals get blamed for folks looking like them on surfboards....as the shark attempts to feed....or feeds)
3rd was, what the $ell is that zodiac doing running under power that close to both the whales, and the Bess-C.
4th was, .....well, after the 1st thought... lets just say the 4th thought had something to do the the zodiac operator and a nice 12 gauge Mossburge......
In fact, I actually called Lyle on the VHF to ask if he was OK. He is a better man than I. The zodiac was out of line for motoring thru....at speeds, amoung the whales, and around folks who had porperly, shut down all power. Lyle, I did not hear your conversation with the zodiac operator... that is something I did miss on this trip.
Thanks again to all who made this a trip of a lifetime for a southern man.
Ya'll come on down.
Byrdman on FreeByrd in Bama :beer Cheers and Thanks! :hug 8)
1st was, Thanks God for providing this event in my life and bless these folks who made it possible.
2nd was, Byrdman...keep in mind you might just look like a seal if they have aged and are not wearing their glasses.....(seals get blamed for folks looking like them on surfboards....as the shark attempts to feed....or feeds)
3rd was, what the $ell is that zodiac doing running under power that close to both the whales, and the Bess-C.
4th was, .....well, after the 1st thought... lets just say the 4th thought had something to do the the zodiac operator and a nice 12 gauge Mossburge......
In fact, I actually called Lyle on the VHF to ask if he was OK. He is a better man than I. The zodiac was out of line for motoring thru....at speeds, amoung the whales, and around folks who had porperly, shut down all power. Lyle, I did not hear your conversation with the zodiac operator... that is something I did miss on this trip.
Thanks again to all who made this a trip of a lifetime for a southern man.
Ya'll come on down.
Byrdman on FreeByrd in Bama :beer Cheers and Thanks! :hug 8)
I'm on the Orca Network Sighting email list and there have been several reports in the past week of Orca pods killing Dolphins. I just signed up for the list and was surprised to read this as I had never heard it before.
I had read about Transient Orcas killing and eating Sea Lions and Harbor Seals but didn't know that the resident Orcas would kill just for the "pleasure" of it. The interesting part is that once they kill the Dolphins they don't eat them.
I had read about Transient Orcas killing and eating Sea Lions and Harbor Seals but didn't know that the resident Orcas would kill just for the "pleasure" of it. The interesting part is that once they kill the Dolphins they don't eat them.
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It's High Time for some good old fashioned whale harvest I say :thup :smilep just Orcas anyway :shock: