Could a whale cause this?

[sailingunity]

This happened to me when heading up the St Johns river near the military base, my guess is they have some time of underwater sonar for approaching boats / submarines?

[boatman1]

I expect that more often than not such returns would be a shoal of baitfish such as sardines.

[FionaJC]

When I sail out of Felixstowe I get all sorts of odd readings between 30m & 0m. Its usually when I go across eddies from other boats, so it could be eddies or who cares? Its a whale, Dolphins, sea monster whatever fills your dreams.

[Suijin]

I highly doubt it was a while for the simple fact you observed the reduced depth reading for extended periods. The idea that a whale would station itself directly under your transducer for that long is implausible.

Thermocline, big schools of sardines, organic matter makes the most sense.

Some schools of baitfish can be miles in diameter during migrations. Dunno about in the Med though.

[Mithril Bham]

I have had depth sounders do that occasionally but, make it a whale, much more romantic.

[oldtomcat]

what type of equipment are you using to display your depth info. I had a Standard Horizon that would do stupid thing when my software was a little out of date.

OTC

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by Suijin

I highly doubt it was a while for the simple fact you observed the reduced depth reading for extended periods. The idea that a whale would station itself directly under your transducer for that long is implausible.

Thermocline, big schools of sardines, organic matter makes the most sense.

Some schools of baitfish can be miles in diameter during migrations. Dunno about in the Med though.

Anyone else see the whale in this pic....? Or do I need to get more sleep?

[Lepke]

Also could be a submarine. Or today a drone.
In the 60s on a destroyer, part of an anti-submarine specialists group, we traced a perfect sub image from end to end on our depth chart recorder.

[bvisailing32]

Whale, impact imminent. .....

Erica and some sailing club friends were sailing from Newport Beach across the San Pedro Channel to Catalina Island.

No engine, no jimmy buffett, on a Catalina 30. Erica was at the helm, and keeping watch, light to moderate wind, and she and the starboard jib sheet crew person, spot the whale at the same time.

" Whale Starboard Beam ! Very close on a collision course. " It was just a few yards away. They grabbed the winch handles and starting beating on winches and metal toe rails. They were yelling and beating fists against the hull.

This is just seconds in time, just before collision, the beast dives under the boat, and keel. They were expecting impact.


Zip, all was quiet, the whale surfaced several yards off their port beam and lazily continued on its planned course to mexico. Time to splice the main brace. Break out the Mt. Gay Rum.


What the heck..... A sea monster story.....I still do not know what it was.

Returning from Dana Point, Ca ( west coast ) to Newport Bay on Valhalla, a Ericson /Olsen 34, sloop. Sunny mid day, light air , making a whole 3 knots.

Erica was at the helm, we swap every hour, I was relaxing on the st'b cockpit cushion, look aft, taking it easy.

Erica yells : " WHAT IS THAT and is pointing just off our starb'd side. I jump up and witness a..


A huge sea beast, about 30 feet or so in length, narrower body than a whale, dorsal fin, but not long like an orca, very dark , dark blue and a swimming motion like a shark.


We were on opposite headings, and he, she or it, passed about 10 feet off our starboard side, and showed no recognition that we even existed.

We maintained our heading and he maintained his. It remained swimming on the surface, and the range opened up and he disappeared.

To this day, we ask watermen, and sailors and fishermen, what the heck was that beast. Never have been totally satisfied as to what it was. But, whatever it was, that mute was big . Probably a whale of some type since dana point and our socal coast is known for them, but it had a small dorsal fin, and swam like a shark.


Oh well, we will probably never know, but it makes for a good sea story when these subjects arise.


We also have super pods of dolphins, several hundred, maybe a thousand, when many different pods join up. Amazing to have them over take us, we are under sail, and it seemed took 20 or so minutes for them to pass and finally, the whole pod pealed off hard to port, and headed out
toward catalina.


Ok, enough of the sea stories....

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by bvisailing32

A huge sea beast, about 30 feet or so in length, narrower body than a whale, dorsal fin, but not long like an orca, very dark , dark blue and a swimming motion like a shark.


We were on opposite headings, and he, she or it, passed about 10 feet off our starboard side, and showed no recognition that we even existed.

We maintained our heading and he maintained his. It remained swimming on the surface, and the range opened up and he disappeared.

To this day, we ask watermen, and sailors and fishermen, what the heck was that beast. Never have been totally satisfied as to what it was. But, whatever it was, that mute was big . Probably a whale of some type since dana point and our socal coast is known for them, but it had a small dorsal fin, and swam like a shark.

Sounds like a basking shark?

[David M]

it is also possibly a phytoplankton or zooplankton bloom. There are also haloclines in the ocean as well....a difference in salinity.

[Mike Banks]

I had something similar but in daylight. Whale is a distinct possibility. From underneath many vessels resemble a whale body--and trimarans look a bit like a female whale with killer wales--which could explain why the amas have been attacked by whales.

I think in your case it was probably manta rays. Whales come up to breathe and their spouting is audible--and they also have halitosis--

[Mike Banks]

That depends upon where you were sailing at the time of your encounter. I could have been a large shark--I used to have a photograph of my late father sitting in an armchair--in the mouth of a huge beast. That was in Jamaica in the 1930's--the vessel was the Jamaica Planter--which was one of the Hadlee Shipping company vessels. A banana boat.

Apparently they caught these huge sharks about once in twenty years--he just happened to be there at the time. No refrigeration--the ultimate short stay. They had this shark hoisted up by a crane on the wharf--and a big trestle ladderr to climb up to its mouth. About the size of a magalodon--but a small one. I think it would have been well over twenty feet though, and it was almost black--nothing like a whale shark. More like a white pointer..

There was a guy taking photographs--which is why this one existed at all.


Sometimes strange things happen at sea.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

Anyone else see the whale in this pic....? Or do I need to get more sleep?

I see that too, but maybe more like a Manatee

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

Anyone else see the whale in this pic....? Or do I need to get more sleep?

Manatee?