Attacked by an Orca near A Coruna

[doug748]

I would without hesitation if I thought my steering was in danger of being disabled.

It’s no different to defending yourself or your car against a herd of cows.

I have absolutely no doubt we all would.

I don't think it would be useful or nice to aim at the animal but rather more effective to shoot into it's/their line of sight. A floating smoke might be a distraction, oil in the water, who knows?

.

 

[sailaboutvic]

A bit more info after my last posting .

"
Government and environmentalists can’t explain why killer whales are playing with sailboats off the coast of Galicia. Twenty nine contacts with killer whales have been registered by sailboats in the coastal region of NW Spain between Ferrol and Ria de Ortigueira since August 10th. In an attempt to protect both sailors and orcas, a no-sailing zone has now been introduced."

 

[GHA]

NW Spain: Government Introduces a No-Sailing-Zone following 29 Incidents Between Sailboats and Killer Whales | Noonsite

 

[dom]

NW Spain: Government Introduces a No-Sailing-Zone following 29 Incidents Between Sailboats and Killer Whales | Noonsite

Your attached article clearly outlines the state of play - in which light the exclusion zone seems very sensible.

 

[cherod]

A bit more info after my last posting .

"
Government and environmentalists can’t explain why killer whales are playing with sailboats off the coast of Galicia. Twenty nine contacts with killer whales have been registered by sailboats in the coastal region of NW Spain between Ferrol and Ria de Ortigueira since August 10th. In an attempt to protect both sailors and orcas, a no-sailing zone has now been introduced."

Where ,

 

[dom]

Where ,

See link in post 263

 

[cherod]

See link in post 263

You are assuming it is within the named incident area , i was looking for something more definitave

 

[sailaboutvic]

You are assuming it is within the named incident area , i was looking for something more definitave

Sorry can't help GHA posted the rest of the report .
There also been problems in the stri Gib

 

[dom]

You are assuming it is within the named incident area , i was looking for something more definitave

Aside from the map in GHA's post, here's a bit more info from the Spanish media - need to use Google translate
Las orcas obligan a prohibir la navegación de pequeños veleros en el norte de Galicia

 

[cherod]

Aside from the map in GHA's post, here's a bit more info from the Spanish media - need to use Google translate
Las orcas obligan a prohibir la navegación de pequeños veleros en el norte de Galicia

Dont see any map

 

[dom]

Dont see any map

No only map is GCA's post 263 and a Spanish Notice to Mariners which I guess will show up here tonight:
RCCPF Cruising Notes

 

[Buck Turgidson]

can't wait for the headline:
"Swiss lady attacked by killer whales"

Some of the posters will need defibrillation.

 

[sarabande]

Looks as if work on deterring killer whales from oilspills may be useful to cruising boats.


http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...W-Oil-Spill-Meeting-Notes.pdf?format=original

page 7.


Perhaps an 8ft long length of scaffolding pipe suspended near the stern, and hit by a hammer might be useful as an acoustic warning. Given that whales biting rudders could be ingesting antifouling, perhaps a sound warning would be doing them a service, as well as protecting the boat.

See also "oikimi pipes" for pictures

oikomi pipes - Google Search

 

[RichardS]

From NW Spain: Government Introduces a No-Sailing-Zone following 29 Incidents Between Sailboats and Killer Whales | Noonsite

Another undeveloped theory has to do with something akin to revenge. The team that works in the group created to explain the encounters between killer whales and sailboats, has verified that of the three groups of cetaceans that have remained in Galician waters, only one interacts with boats. Two specimens of killer whale belong to this group, which the researchers have been able to photograph with large injuries, probably caused by contact with ships. If the encounters with sailboats are a reaction to a bad experience, it is something that biologists do not dare to confirm.

So revenge attacks are a theory.

Richard

 

[FlyingGoose]

Perhaps we should be asking whether a killer whale is capable of having mens rea to attack ? In the same way that sperm whales attack and eat squid and even great white shark ?

You are putting hunting to eat and attack in the same phrase , this is a misunderstood, does the abbituor attack the cow with a stun gun so you can have your steak
Does a sperm whale attack a squid to eat ?
Does an orca attack a piece of plastic. If so why , it is not after human meat they incredibly intelligent , seems like they are curious and playing not attacking

 

[cherod]

From NW Spain: Government Introduces a No-Sailing-Zone following 29 Incidents Between Sailboats and Killer Whales | Noonsite

Another undeveloped theory has to do with something akin to revenge. The team that works in the group created to explain the encounters between killer whales and sailboats, has verified that of the three groups of cetaceans that have remained in Galician waters, only one interacts with boats. Two specimens of killer whale belong to this group, which the researchers have been able to photograph with large injuries, probably caused by contact with ships. If the encounters with sailboats are a reaction to a bad experience, it is something that biologists do not dare to confirm.

So revenge attacks are a theory.

Richard

no one ,, well maybe a few exceptions , would doubt that the Orcas are intelligent animals , but intelligent enough to realise that humans are a serious threat to them ? perhaps and if so then who could not understand " revenge attacks ".

 

[cherod]

You are putting hunting to eat and attack in the same phrase , this is a misunderstood, does the abbituor attack the cow with a stun gun so you can have your steak
Does a sperm whale attack a squid to eat ?
Does an orca attack a piece of plastic. If so why , it is not after human meat they incredibly intelligent , seems like they are curious and playing not attacking

and this is the crux of this thread,, " attack " or otherwise ,,, interesting that the report from the Spanish authorities re the exclusion zone , ( based on expert knowledge ) has no reference to attacks , instead using the words " encounter , interactions and even play !! "

 

[FlyingGoose]

From NW Spain: Government Introduces a No-Sailing-Zone following 29 Incidents Between Sailboats and Killer Whales | Noonsite

Another undeveloped theory has to do with something akin to revenge. The team that works in the group created to explain the encounters between killer whales and sailboats, has verified that of the three groups of cetaceans that have remained in Galician waters, only one interacts with boats. Two specimens of killer whale belong to this group, which the researchers have been able to photograph with large injuries, probably caused by contact with ships. If the encounters with sailboats are a reaction to a bad experience, it is something that biologists do not dare to confirm.

So revenge attacks are a theory.

Richard

Nonsense no revenge , there has only been three attacks on boats confirmed as ramming and they associate with an orca caught in a net and crying out 2 orcas were understood to have rammed the boat
We have just seen 400 stranded whales tasmania, as if one or several whales get into difficulty they emit a stress call bringing in the rest if the pod that also gets stranded.
As no orca seemed to be injured amor attacked we assume they were curious but as I have said who is going to admit that they sailed into a pod of orcas without changing course .
Orcas chasing tuna and feeding are quite aggressive in their feeding if a boat accidentally or deliberately enter this zone they may find that the orca sees a challenger to its food source which we already know is under heavy fishing , and therefore the orca could be warning the boat off,.
Attack no ,

 

[cherod]

You are putting hunting to eat and attack in the same phrase , this is a misunderstood, does the abbituor attack the cow with a stun gun so you can have your steak
Does a sperm whale attack a squid to eat ?
Does an orca attack a piece of plastic. If so why , it is not after human meat they incredibly intelligent , seems like they are curious and playing not attacking

TBF here , ( yes this is getting into pedantics , i know ),,, but does a lion attack a dear to eat it, a polar bear a seal , an eagle a rabbit ,, etc,, i would say yes ,, but as yet there are no reports of any boats being eaten by the whales .

 

[FlyingGoose]

and this is the crux of this thread,, " attack " or otherwise ,,, interesting that the report from the Spanish authorities re the exclusion zone , ( based on expert knowledge ) has no reference to attacks , instead using the words " encounter , interactions and even play !! "

Exactly , but why listen to the experts In Spain who study this particular pod , who have the same thoughts as myself and others on here, people just like the scandal and like to fear what they do not understand , when this happens they revert to challenging the science and experts and myself without bringing any scientific knowledge to the table
They resort to trying to undermine posters with personnel attacks and observations about one a own knowledge on the matter
This is because they feel challenged by a superior knowledge and must use tactics we see in the playground