Orcas have destroyed our rudder

[Seabeau]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Can you supply a link to a scientifically conducted assessment to verify this statement..
As you know, here on CF unless something is scientifically proven and with multiple links to prove it.. It ain't true..
The video's I have watched so far show no effort to communicate with these mammals.. there's been a German (?) kid at the helm panicking going "Oh sh*t, oh sh*t" and various things like trying to out run them.. in not one has anyone tried distracting them..
Dolphins will often try attracting ones attention by jumping by the cockpit or portlights to attract attention, my close encounter with a large pod of Orca as I sailed along was to stand up in my cockpit and call out as they began to circle the boat "Hey guys.. Food in plastic is not good" then moved onto the side deck and continued chatting with them and whistling, much as I do with dolphin.. these guys kept me company for a few days swimming off in the morning then returning around sunset.. try whistling at them and be social.

Can you or anyone, prove that the inverse in true? In fact, since this aggressive behavior is localized, as far as we know, to just this one particular group of Orcas, I would say that my statement, that overfishing cannot be proven to be responsible for this behavior, is more correct that any other.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Seabeau

Can you or anyone, prove that the inverse in true? In fact, since this aggressive behavior is localized, as far as we know, to just this one particular group of Orcas, I would say that my statement, that overfishing cannot be proven to be responsible for this behavior, is more correct that any other.

I was having a laugh with the 'Proof' bit.. guess it didn't come across..
As for aggression.. I don't think its aggression, its not violent, more a game of tease like the dog that chases cars or bike's.. barks a lot but very very few try to bite you..
Attention seeking maybe.. I'm not an Orca so can only guess, but serious aggression would be a lot more spectacular methinks.
Could it be hunting role play/training for catching Tuna etc..?? attack the tail and leave the prey helpless.. its all guess work so far but to my mind any violent retaliation will only result in escalation.
But hey.!!! What do I know.. maybe I'll get to test my theories if I get to deliver a boat down that way one of these days..

[boatman61]

https://monacolife.net/communicating-with-orcas/

[Manateeman]

I really have to laugh when someone says prove any statement which contains the word “overfishing”. What species are not overfished. Seriously. Name one.
OK let’s just say “ under fishing pressure”. Or that the Orcas are “competing “ for a finite resource. The scientific status of the biomass is irrelevant. The fishermen BELIEVED the Orcas were taking fish off their lines and they began to take ACTIONS. Not very nice actions.
This was reported in the press by statements from the fishermen. Do you dispute this? Are you saying fishermen played no part in this change in Orca behavior?
I think you really underestimate the intelligence of these mammals.

My wife and I opened a laboratory/ pilot plant in the second largest fishing port in the US specifically to bring science and technology to the fishing and fish processing industries. That led to a position as the senior science and technology advisor to one of the largest marine protein and aquaculture corporations in the world. The fishing industry has been very good to me.
I’m not an Orca expert but I have an adequate understanding of marine bioacoustics, and marine mammals in general.
There are a lot of very intelligent biologists examining this Orca behavior.
The near term answer is avoidance. Not guns, not bombs. Violence might have tipped the first domino over but more violence will not stop the cascade.
While everyone can post opinions here, I add my qualifications to my statements in the hope that the Guns and Bomb silliness will be seen for what it really is...fear. Do you really think it’s an adequate defense? If you are in a steel or aluminum hull do you need a gun? And in a fiberglass boat...do you think you can prevent any damage with one? Better look at their weight and teeth again.
So right now you want to ignore the consensus of the experts in Orca behavior which is simply to avoid the Orcas and give the experts time to study the situation. So you recommend meeting force with more force? Good luck with that.
Captain Mark
The manatee crew can’t comment because they lost their wax orca teeth and they don’t know how to send a selfie of them grinning like this

[Sandy Frank]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

So right now you want to ignore the consensus of the experts in Orca behavior which is simply to avoid the Orcas and give the experts time to study the situation.

I love the post, but this one line have me a sadistic chuckle. The current state of society summed up by orca attacks on sailboat rudders.

[wingssail]

Manateeeman Mark apparently can't read too well, or maybe he is still half bombed on gin and tonics.

Originally Posted by Manateeman

...

Oh...sorry..I forgot, GUNS.

You want to defend yourself with a gun but you know nothing about guns.

Where, oh where, dear Mark, did I say I "wanted" to defend myself with guns?

And where, dear Man, does one go to avoid Orcas? Oh, I know, keep your boat in a slip where you are permanently working on it, no problem with orcas then, you hope)

We've got plenty of marine mammals here (Whales, Dolphins, and recently Orcas) but none of them thankfully seem bent on attacking sailboats, although a family of large Dolphins habitually play with my anchor chain and their movements seem very much like the Orcas in the video, right down to the female Orca groupies with their calf's watching the action from the safety of off stage.

[SeanPatrick]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

I really have to laugh when someone says prove any statement which contains the word “overfishing”. What species are not overfished. Seriously. Name one.

Asian carp.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Manateeeman Mark apparently can't read too well, or maybe he is still half bombed on gin and tonics.

Originally Posted by Manateeman View Post
...

Oh...sorry..I forgot, GUNS.

You want to defend yourself with a gun but you know nothing about guns.

Where, oh where, dear Mark, did I say I "wanted" to defend myself with guns?

And where, dear Man, does one go to avoid Orcas? Oh, I know, keep your boat in a slip where you are permanently working on it, no problem with orcas then, you hope)


We've got plenty of marine mammals here (Whales, Dolphins, and recently Orcas) but none of them thankfully seem bent on attacking sailboats, although a family of large Dolphins habitually play with my anchor chain and their movements seem very much like the Orcas in the video, right down to the female Orca groupies with their calf's watching the action from the safety of off stage.

Earlier Post quote--
Watching that video it made me so angry. I would hate to feel so helpless that I have to stand by and do nothing as those orcas destroy my boat.

I have never carried a gun on my boat. Hardly have ever held one let along fired one. But if I had a rifle on board I'd surely shoot those creatures to protect my home and boat, as surely as I'd shoot a grizzly bear who was chewing his way into my tent.
__________________
Sailing is a sport, an athletic activity, not a sedentary one.
Fred Roswold-Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mexico
https://wingssail.blogspot.com/

Wanna avoid rudder chewing Orca.??? stay where you are and don't come to Southern Spain.. yet to see if they'll move back North come winter.. good feeding off Galicia during the winter months..

[Manateeman]

Asian carp is the newest dance craze with the manatee crew. Here’s the steps. You get naked and cover yourself with waterproof gold glitter. Somebody shouts carpe diem and you jump overboard to get wet then jump into the dinghy and flop around knocking anything and everybody into the drink. Then you light off cheap firecrackers and scream GUN till you hear the cops arriving.
The only Orcas in Florida are already in jail (the cops call it the tank and it really is a tank) at waterworld so the manatee crew isn’t really worried about being arrested. They’ve decided the answer to the gun threat is similar to the Japanese saying : live by the sword, die by the sword...so they are going to ask the ice bears to join them in sunny Spain as all the polar ice is melting anyway. The Orcas swear they’ll teach the ice bears to climb aboard any boat that fails to contribute money to this vital marine mammal research. The hope is that doing the carp dance will reduce the trauma of reading posts about guns and bombs.
Dance on. Manatees in tutus and Orcas in Top Hats and Tails.
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark

[SeanPatrick]

LMAO, you are a weird dude! I'm glad I'm too far away to suffer any ill effects from the manatee flatulence.

[JAFO]

Recent 40 minute discussion of the situation by the European Cetacean Society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKwtzBUxBk8

Don't know if there's any useful information in it (haven't watched yet) but it may be informative for some.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by JAFO

Recent 40 minute discussion of the situation by the European Cetacean Society.

Don't know if there's any useful information in it (haven't watched yet) but it may be informative for some.

I knocked her on the head inside 10mins.. as she repeatedly refers to them as killer whales instead of Orca.
Ignorant and obviously pushing the emotive agenda..

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I knocked her on the head inside 10mins.. as she repeatedly refers to them as killer whales instead of Orca.
Ignorant and obviously pushing the emotive agenda..

I agree! I wonder what her credentials are? Probably a PhD with book smarts and little common sense.

[Pelagic]

Common sense tells me this:

Orcas are very intelligent
They know humans move around inside boats
They teach their young intricate hunting and behavioral patterns
This pod exhibits an aberrant aggression towards humans .
Is their a chance that this behavior can be communicated to other pods and taken to the next level of attacks against surffers of kayaks?

Starting with acoustic deterrents, we should be teaching this rogue pod to stay away from humans

[sailingabe41ds]

Not sure if it has been mentioned...but how about tagging a GPS/AIS on the naughty Orcas so that everyone knows where they are and try to stay away from them.
Little scary when you see mommy Orcas teaching baby Orcas how to take down a sailboat by taking down the rudder. Maybe I will motor backwards and confuse them.

Abe