Orcas - What would you do if this happened to you?

[Renegde_Sailor]

See what you got to do is wait till he is right by the back of the boat... then jump off and land right on his back!

Then what you do is stick your thumb right up his bum!

[Alistair242]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Here is a discussion about one whale who is credited with the deaths by drowning of two women and one man. It includes explanatory history of the whale, Tilikum. The article contains a number of references: the Bracheau killing was witnessed.

Wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilikum_(orca)#:~:text=On%20February%2024%2C%20201 0%2C%20Tilikum,pulled%20her%20into%20the%20water.

Also, in Eden, NSW, Australia, at the Whale Museum, there is a copy of a report by European settlers that the orcas would come in and snatch First Nations children who were playing on the beaches of Twofold Bay. You could Google it for more, if you are interested. What's different about that report is that those whales were in the wild, not one raised in captivity. While orca vs. human attacks may be rare, they have happened, and been fatal to the humans.

It is possible that the excitement they see in people on the boats acts as a reinforcer for their rudder chasing activities, but honestly, how can one tell for sure? "Nature, red in tooth and claw," and all that.

One may romanticize them; or hate how humans have treated whales historically, but imho, they're just as dangerous to us as polar or grizzly bears, and we should respect that, not delude ourselves.



Ann

This whale(Tilikum) is responsible for the deaths of 3 people while in captivity I believe. The whale was captured, mistreated by humans and continually bullied by other whales that came a from a different pod that he was housed in a small pool with. Watch the movie “Blackfish”. After this it was ruled in the USA that trainers could no longer be in the water with captive orca. Certainly there have been other attacks in captivity, but one could hardly blame the whales. If I was stolen from my family at a young age and treated this way I am sure I would do the same.
In Eden the orca used to work alongside the whalers in capturing other larger whales by herding them into the nets, presumably for their livers as payoff. This intentional close contact with the orca was foolhardy and may have resulted in an accident.

These are large, strong and intelligent animals. The apex predators in every ocean. They are to be respected always and avoided whenever possible. However, incidents of them attacking and actually killing people in the wild are non existent. There was an incident in the 1950s where a man was killed in the Canadian arctic while trying to free trapped orca from the ice. Other than this no other deaths. They do not view humans as food or a targeted threat. Maybe they should? Whatever they are doing by playing with and/or breaking the rudders of boats is not an act of aggression. I am certain that they could sink any small vessel very quickly if they chose to do so.
When sailing in and around the Sea of Cortez in the 90s we saw many orca. They were curious, like other dolphin species, but were never aggressive. I see countless reports of those orca in the Pacific NW that act the same way.

I am looking forward to sailing the Atlantic coasts of Spain and Portugal and we will follow the recommendations from the local researchers and authorities when there.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Alistair242

This whale(Tilikum) is responsible for the deaths of 3 people while in captivity I believe. The whale was captured, mistreated by humans and continually bullied by other whales that came a from a different pod that he was housed in a small pool with. Watch the movie “Blackfish”. After this it was ruled in the USA that trainers could no longer be in the water with captive orca. Certainly there have been other attacks in captivity, but one could hardly blame the whales ...

Indeed, You’re correct.
Of the four fatal attacks, by orcas in captivity, ‘Tilikum’ was involved in three*:
Keltie Byrne, a trainer at the [now-defunct] Sealand of the Pacific; Daniel P. Dukes, a man trespassing in SeaWorld Orlando; and SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau.

While at Sealand in 1991, Tilikum, and two female orcas, were responsible for the death of a part-time trainer, who slipped, and fell into their pool, and was submerged by them.

Tilikum was moved to SeaWorld Orlando, a short time later, and Sealand later closed.

In 1999, a naked man, who had eluded security, and sneaked into SeaWorld at night, was found dead, the next morning draped over Tilikum, in a breeding tank, in the back of Shamu Stadium.

In 2010, SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was interacting with Tilikum, before a live audience, at SeaWorld Orlando, when he pulled her from a platform by her arm, and held her under the water.
An autopsy report said Brancheau drowned, but also suffered severe trauma, including multiple fractures.

Tilikum died at SeaWorld, in Orlando, Fla, in January of 2016, at about 36 years old.
SeaWorld Entertainment officials announced, in March 2016, that the tourist attraction would end its orca breeding program, and theatrical shows, involving killer whales.

While he remains the most famous of SeaWorld’s whales, Tilikum is not the only captive orca to have caused grievous injury, or even death, to a trainer. Only a few months before Tilikum killed his trainer, Keto, an orca who had been transferred from SeaWorld Orlando to Loro Parque Zoo, in the Canary Islands, turned on his trainer and killed him.



* More details:
“Tilikum: The Whale Who Rebelled” ~ by The Whale Sanctuary Project
➥ https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/wh...-who-rebelled/

[clakiep]

Never happened to me, but what crossed my mind : what about going from slow foreward into full reverse at the exact right moment, to teach them that there is something that bites back.

Capt. Claus São Paulo/BRASIL

[pterrien]

If you are in a position to do it: Full Astern in a straight line. Worked for me while being attacked at the rudder by three individuals.

[MartyB]

JPA Cate and PTerrien got it right.
In June 2022 we were attacked at the entrance of the straight of the coast of Barbate. They hit the first sailboat, an Amel 54, and as soon as he put the engine in reverse, they lost interest.
Then, they came for me….😱😬
But we were 1.5 nm behind and our buddy boat told me to keep a close watch and to put the engines in reverse if I see them. 10 minutes later 2 came off my bow 50 feet away and I immediately put both of my engines in reverse(FP Astrea 42cat) and started to reverse in rounds and they went straight away! Did not get hit once!! 🎉

Like JPA Cate said, they can’t swim in reverse. And on my boat, the rudders are in front of the props. Makes a perfect protection against them…


Be safe out there!

[pterrien]

Originally Posted by MartyB

JPA Cate and PTerrien got it right.
In June 2022 we were attacked at the entrance of the straight of the coast of Barbate. They hit the first sailboat, an Amel 54, and as soon as he put the engine in reverse, they lost interest.
Then, they came for me….😱😬
But we were 1.5 nm behind and our buddy boat told me to keep a close watch and to put the engines in reverse if I see them. 10 minutes later 2 came off my bow 50 feet away and I immediately put both of my engines in reverse(FP Astrea 42cat) and started to reverse in rounds and they went straight away! Did not get hit once!! 🎉

Like JPA Cate said, they can’t swim in reverse. And on my boat, the rudders are in front of the props. Makes a perfect protection against them…


Be safe out there!

Same place as us. A real hotspot off Barbate

[nofacey]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Down sails. Motor in reverse in tight circles till they go away.

Best idea yet! Especially if you have something other than a spade rudder
- hopefully waves are small enough to allow

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by Sail Sail

We've just been hit by a huge orca off the coast of Portugal:

What would you do if this happened to you?

Keep a few M-80's(m800 now) onboard. They are waterproof.
M-80s are a class of large, powerful firecrackers that were originally made for the U.S. military in the mid-20th century to simulate artillery fire and explosives.

[P3sailor]

Muriatic acid, what are you thinking?

[P3sailor]

Muriatic acid, M-80s why am I not surprised both responses are from the u.s.

[Nimrod]

What we need to vary is a Okomi pipe.

Let’s adopt what others have done before our problem

https://response.restoration.noaa.go...oil-spill.html

[rapanui 2]

Originally Posted by Sail Sail

We've just been hit by a huge orca off the coast of Portugal:

What would you do if this happened to you?

and family I will surely do as clint eastwood"make my day"!!

[Nicholson58]

I’ve wondered if a taeser would work.

[boatman61]

Probably piss him off..