Killer whales launch ‘orchestrated’ attacks on sailing boats

[owly]

Originally Posted by chrisr

not wishing to discuss the merits one way or the other of such action, however must ask "where do you propose to get the electric current for such ?"

cheers,

Fence chargers usually run on a small 12 volt battery.....A small solar panel to maintain it, often only about a square foot of area. It doesn't take much. An ordinary cattle prod which typically operates on about 4 D cells would also make a good power source. I like the idea of a fence charger as a defensive system on a boat against intruders. On a fiberglass boat, the stanchions bolt into fiberglass... an excellent insulator. With the ocean as a ground...... It would be a nasty surprise for a boarder!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Creedence

My guess, the orcas made an introductory post to CF about crossing an ocean without the requisite experience, were turned off by the response from the internet experts and took matters into their own fins?

The orcas hadn't issued a visa and sailing permit. CV19 has people in that situation. Can't stay can't leave since no one else will take them.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by S/V Adeline

So, 1,000 miles offshore, i should allow myself and my family to possibly be killed to save a whale's feelings or let it *play*.
Not the right answer
Harpoons have killed many whales much larger than orcas, and sinking 1,000 miles offshore has killed many humans. Anything goes when survival is at stake.

Sure, but do you know how to shoot an orca approaching underwater at speed? More importantly, could you handle more than one - a full pod - in rapid succession? Whaling wasn't an easy sport in its heydays, nowadays it's done from much larger steel boats.

Haven't read all the comments, sorry if it came up before: an obvious solution would be a sound they don't like and regardless if one or one hundred is circling your boat, all take a leave. A speaker is also likely a lot cheaper and takes up a lot less deck space than a harpoon setup.

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Orcas knock into sailboats, force Spain to limit yachting
Spain has prohibited yachting across 100 kilometers (62 miles) of its northwestern coast after sailboats have been damaged by orca whales knocking their hulls
By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press
September 23, 2020, 6:45 AM
...
Orcas are particularly attracted by sail boats due to their size, the waves they make, and the lack of pollution they produce compared to fishing boats...

There you go, I only need to bring along a bucket of decaying fish and the whole pod looses appetite for the day Same goes for the crew...

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by GTom

Sure, but do you know how to shoot an orca approaching underwater at speed? More importantly, could you handle more than one - a full pod - in rapid succession? Whaling wasn't an easy sport in its heydays, nowadays it's done from much larger steel boats.

Haven't read all the comments, sorry if it came up before: an obvious solution would be a sound they don't like and regardless if one or one hundred is circling your boat, all take a leave. A speaker is also likely a lot cheaper and takes up a lot less deck space than a harpoon setup....

I’d tend to agree that even if you could manage to harpoon one, since they usually travel in pods, you wouldn’t have accomplished much except possibly antagonize the other ones. Im trying to visualize a cruising sailboat with a whole stack of harpoons stored on deck right beside the row of extra fuel cans.
A loud sound seems like a more logical solution but who knows what sort of sound would drive an Orca away and how does one transmit that loud sound into the water so they can hear it? If a loud sound would work on orcas, why not on great whites or bull sharks? If that would work I assume that by now an underwater loud sound transmitter would be
standard equipment at every public beach. But it’s not, so I’m skeptical that we can repel orcas from our sailboats with a sound.....unless we roll depth charges off our aft decks, that might work for at least a few minutes.

[Manateeman]

Greetings all. There are a number of serious marine mammal scientists trying to understand what...if anything...is going on with the Orcas in Spain.
Let’s let them work and stop the silly stuff about how you’ll protect yourself from Orca attack. These are highly intelligent, huge mammals.
My expertise is marine biotechnology and I’ve worked in manatee acoustics as well. I grew up in New Bedford, once the whaling capital of the world. I learned a lot about whales.
Rather than inventing Orca repellents you ought to think about avoiding Sperm whales sleeping on the surface at night. They have a proven record of snapping wood whaling chase boats in two and tail slapping sailors to death.
Documented in whaling logs. Bonk into a Sperm and pray it does not turn in your direction. Stick a harpoon in him or do any of the other stupid ideas like firecrackers or electric shock and a sperm could do major damage to a boat like mine designed for high latitude exploration. Even steel might have a bent rudder.
Fiberglass or composite boats would disappear. Then Sperms flatten everything that moves or makes noise.
Next to a Sperm whale ,Orcas look like Manatees
I’ve written several posts on both threads. Please read them.
I’ve posted my expert advice on what to do...so again...if you see a pod of Orcas, just stop, shut off all motors, stop talking and do not react if one comes to investigate your boat. Silent. Motionless. You become less interesting.
They may bump as this is how they learn things but once the feel you are no longer a threat to them, or a fun toy that reacts to them, or that your rudder looks like food but clearly isn’t food...they will leave. Any reaction might be interpreted as a threat or as food or as an interesting toy.

If, as sailors, you want less ocean to sail in, then keep up the noise because if the Spanish Governments restrictions didn’t hit home, watch as these Orcas move north and Ken, Barbie and the cat get attacked off France.
The only thing that will get more press coverage will be “My boat was attacked by the Kraken.” All you need is one rubber arm from the movie 20 Thousand Leagues under the sea, a video cam, crew that can scream. Tell everyone you chopped the Krakens arm off with your fire ax and it fell into the sea.

Please...please stop this nonsense. If Orcas wanted to kill you, they’d have a good chance even if you did have an elephant gun. Outside of captive Orcas ,
There has never been a single case of an Orca killing a human. Not one.
Keep this nonsense up and the end result will be No Sail Zones. Some attorney might get the courts to let them represent the Orcas. So go ahead and walk around with that harpoon...lot a good it did Ahab. Anyway...
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark and his locked and loaded (with farts) mad manatees
PS. Could someone please post this on both threads. I don’t know how to.
Thanks.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Greetings all. There are a number of serious marine mammal scientists trying to understand what...if anything...is going on with the Orcas in Spain.
Let’s let them work and stop the silly stuff about how you’ll protect yourself from Orca attack. These are highly intelligent, huge mammals.
My expertise is marine biotechnology and I’ve worked in manatee acoustics as well. I grew up in New Bedford, once the whaling capital of the world. I learned a lot about whales.
Rather than inventing Orca repellents you ought to think about avoiding Sperm whales sleeping on the surface at night. They have a proven record of snapping wood whaling chase boats in two and tail slapping sailors to death.
Documented in whaling logs. Bonk into a Sperm and pray it does not turn in your direction. Stick a harpoon in him or do any of the other stupid ideas like firecrackers or electric shock and a sperm could do major damage to a boat like mine designed for high latitude exploration. Even steel might have a bent rudder.
Fiberglass or composite boats would disappear. Then Sperms flatten everything that moves or makes noise.
Next to a Sperm whale ,Orcas look like Manatees
I’ve written several posts on both threads. Please read them.
I’ve posted my expert advice on what to do...so again...if you see a pod of Orcas, just stop, shut off all motors, stop talking and do not react if one comes to investigate your boat. Silent. Motionless. You become less interesting.
They may bump as this is how they learn things but once the feel you are no longer a threat to them, or a fun toy that reacts to them, or that your rudder looks like food but clearly isn’t food...they will leave. Any reaction might be interpreted as a threat or as food or as an interesting toy.

If, as sailors, you want less ocean to sail in, then keep up the noise because if the Spanish Governments restrictions didn’t hit home, watch as these Orcas move north and Ken, Barbie and the cat get attacked off France.
The only thing that will get more press coverage will be “My boat was attacked by the Kraken.” All you need is one rubber arm from the movie 20 Thousand Leagues under the sea, a video cam, crew that can scream. Tell everyone you chopped the Krakens arm off with your fire ax and it fell into the sea.

Please...please stop this nonsense. If Orcas wanted to kill you, they’d have a good chance even if you did have an elephant gun. Outside of captive Orcas ,
There has never been a single case of an Orca killing a human. Not one.
Keep this nonsense up and the end result will be No Sail Zones. Some attorney might get the courts to let them represent the Orcas. So go ahead and walk around with that harpoon...lot a good it did Ahab. Anyway...
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark and his locked and loaded (with farts) mad manatees
PS. Could someone please post this on both threads. I don’t know how to.
Thanks.

The orcas are probably more intelligent than us in the first place.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Cadence

The orcas are probably more intelligent than us in the first place.

....some of us....

[owly]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

....some of us....

Now that's a statement pregnant with possibilities if I ever heard one. I won't describe the picture that flashed through my head when I read that .... not suitable for this forum. ;-)

[AKA-None]

Interesting that some first responses were to go into attack mode on the unknown. Maybe that’s why seti never got any action???

[Singularity]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Interesting that some first responses were to go into attack mode on the unknown. Maybe that’s why seti never got any action???

Maybe, sort of:
https://www.theonion.com/aliens-poin...-sc-1844986858

[owly]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Interesting that some first responses were to go into attack mode on the unknown. Maybe that’s why seti never got any action???

I don't call defensive action "attack mode". When your boat is being trashed, potentially disabled or worse, defense is the only reasonable response. Your safety, even your life is dependent on the boat. Perhaps the response is based on real world experience. I can't speak for anybody else but I learned in childhood when attacked by bullies to respond with sudden and shocking violence using every resource available fair or foul. It served me well... they chose other children to pick on. In later years a young man who attempted to rob me and who was armed with a switchblade knife ended up unconscious with multiple broken bones after I "snapped" (a friend's words) and went into primal survival mode... I have zero recollection of events beyond picking up a large chair which ended up being my "weapon of defense". A little guy, I had no hesitation about tilting the odds in my favor. I was never a "fighter", and never believed in a "fair fight", avoided conflict and never instigated conflict.

The best approach has always been to avoid situations where there is likely to be a problem, and this applies here as well. Only a fool is going to sail out into the waters where orcas are attacking sailboats (willingly & knowingly). It's about like sailing off Somalia alone. I'd rather brave Cape Agulhas than Suez. Storms from Antarctica are predictable, pirates are not. Spain can wait for another day ;-)

[Manateeman]

Humans will defend themselves if attacked. So will Orcas, Elephants, Soccer moms. Unprovoked “attacks” make no biological sense in animal mammal behavior. They exist only in humans. Unprovoked is the key word.
Sharks will, but they don’t have a real brain. If you get between a mom and the young...you, provoked the action. Gorillas will thrash brush and beat their chest.
It’s a warning. Fox in the hen house. Food killing practice. If foxes started digging up potatoes, you could say they attacked the potatoes.
Give me a few mammal example of unprovoked attack. Rogue elephant. Tired of moving teak logs. Bear smashes car window. People inside ran out of snacks.
Orca drowns trainer. In captivity and intelligent. Jailbreak. Dog bites man. Domesticated mammal trained to defend gets confused. Cat plays with mouse.
Brain training. There just are no examples I can think of...can you?
Sperm whales are different. Bonk into them and you will have provoked the one animal with the largest brain of any mammal and he will attack, possibly sink and kill everyone. That harpoon didn’t do Ahab any good and it won’t help you either.
A military assault rifle might not do it. Maybe hand grenades would.
All this “stand you ground” stuff is just silly. If Orcas had a biological reason to attack people, they would train the young in the same fashion they kill seals on the beach. Nobody would go near the water and sunbathing would be limited to the dune line. Let the scientists work. If you see Orcas, stop go silent, don’t move.
Please stop with the barroom fight tactics and the cattle prods. Marine mammals have thick, strong skin, very strong bones, powerful muscles and they weigh tons.
Maybe a picture of what happens when an elephant or a hippo gets mad will help.
Live and let live. Keep a sharp lookout at night for sperm whales. Till then..
Happy trails to you
Captain Mark and his light beer manatee friends.
They are on a no pizza diet...to loose weight.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

I didn’t realize just how big shark livers are and what a large percentage of the sharks abdominal cavity they fill!

I can agree with that. I can recall as a kid seeing a couple of makos opened up. Livers made a hell of a mess on the dock. They were looking for body parts from a sunken boat also. I recall seeing the head of a blue fish that anglers would die to catch one that large.

[AKA-None]

What a person views as an attack maybe curiosity by an animal

[Supercat568]

12 gage shotgun..problem solved.

Originally Posted by B23iL23

From Portugal down to GB it appears a (single) pod of Orcas have taken a dislike to yachts and are carrying out repeated attacks on their rudders. I was talking to a whale researcher and she does believe it's a single pod or family. They usually stay away from boats but for some reason they have decided to attack (which is also very rare for them).

"In the last two months, from southern to northern Spain, sailors have sent distress calls after worrying encounters. Two boats lost part of their rudders, at least one crew member suffered bruising from the impact of the ramming, and several boats sustained serious damage.

The latest incident occurred on Friday afternoon just off A Coruña, on the northern coast of Spain. Halcyon Yachts was taking a 36ft boat to the UK when an orca rammed its stern at least 15 times, according to Pete Green, the company’s managing director. The boat lost steering and was towed into port to assess damage."

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...-sailing-boats