McOrca-Whales

[Baggy]

Are ORCA whales a danger to small yachts up there in scotland..

Have they been known to attack.. boats ?

Do they especially like the flavour of Englishmen....

Let Dylan know.....

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Are ORCA whales a danger to small yachts up there in scotland..

Have they been known to attack.. boats ?

Do they especially like the flavour of Englishmen....

Let Dylan know.....

I'd imagine Slugs are beneath their notice.

 

[awol]

Nah! It's the sharks you have to watch out for. Friend of mine had his P-bracket ripped off and his rudder damaged by one off the Treshnish Isles. He claims it was about 20' long! It was a basking shark and I think he woke it up by running into it.

Re-read that and would like to point out it was the boat's P-bracket and the length refers to the shark.

 

[Searush]

Nah! It's the sharks you have to watch out for. Friend of mine had his P-bracket ripped off and his rudder damaged by one off the Treshnish Isles. He claims it was about 20' long! It was a basking shark and I think he woke it up by running into it.

Re-read that and would like to point out it was the boat's P-bracket and the length refers to the shark.

That's a baby one then.

I was cruising with the kids in a Heron Dinghy in Kilbrennan Sound when we saw a Basking Shark dorsal fin. "Look, kids" I shout "lets go & take a look". So we sail over towards this slow moving fin, about 3-4' out of the water & flopping over at the top.

As we get closer, I realise that the smaller fin, just breaking the surface about 15-20' astern of the dorsal, is this shark's tail, which means that the ripple a similar distance ahead of the dorsal will be the open mouth just below the surface.

Now basking sharks are fliter feeders on krill & no threat to humans, but we were in an 11' ply dinghy, so it only need to hiccough or sneeze to wipe us out completely. "Wasn't that interesting" I asked the kids as I gibed & sailed away, as quickly & quietly as I could.

They were dissapointed they hadn't quite been able to pat it.

 

[dylanwinter]

Never seen a shark - never seen a dolphin

despite all my years sailing and working at the Natural History unti for the BBc in Bristol never seen either a shark or a dolphin - seen the odd harbour porpoise around essex though. The seals have been a real pleasure on the journey - the one on the Alde began to feel like a friend.

I really hope I get to see such a wonderful thing as a killer whale.

blimey there would be a scrabbling for the camera should such a thing come into view

Dylan

Never seen a puffin in the flesh either... so many treats ahead of self and slug

 

[DannyB]

I was sailing a 33 foot Moody on a beautiful summers day from Troon to Arran when about half way over we spotted the same trademark dorsal fin with the tail some way behind. The wind was light and we just ghosted up alongside the shark, at which point we realised that it was longer than the boat by a fair way. Not knowing too much about basking sharks, in particular whether they could be aggressive, and not wanting to get rammed, we quietly departed the way we had come. Impressive sight, we stood off for some time and watched it feeding. saw three that day.

I am told that it's the sound of the English accent that can make them aggressive, or is that Glasweegians.

 

[rickym]

On 13th sept 2008 we were extremely fortunate to see a pod of 4 Orca porpoising westwards while we sailed east across lyme bay.

We had previously been cursing the weather having been forced to leave the yacht in Dartmouth the previous weekend while we returned home on the train. I would not have missed the sighting for anything.

We have previously had dolphins with us on the bow wave sailing up the needles channel having come from dartmouth overnight with a full lunar eclipse, another magical experience.

Guss I am just lucky?

 

[Major Catastrophe]

despite all my years sailing and working at the Natural History unti for the BBc in Bristol never seen either a shark or a dolphin - seen the odd harbour porpoise around essex though.

I am shocked. Even in the short 6 years I have been boating I have seen Dolphins a number of times. Harbour Porpoises are quite numerous as well.

This 30+ pod helped us into the Mersey last year.





Ha ha. I just remembered that you left a comment Dylan, so you have seen it.

The boat was a Blyth cat with two bulbous noses, which produced a suitable bow pressure wave the Dolphins seemed to like.

You probably need to uprate the Slug's engine to attract Dolphins. The Oyster you will be able to afford next year should do the job.

 

[dylanwinter]

Oyster, Moody, Nicholson, Southerly

I am shocked. Even in the short 6 years I have been boating I have seen Dolphins a number of times. Harbour Porpoises are quite numerous as well.

This 30+ pod helped us into the Mersey last year.


You probably need to uprate the Slug's engine to attract Dolphins. The Oyster you will be able to afford next year should do the job.

Oyster, Moody, Nicholson, Southerly

So hard to choose


Dylan

 

[JKay]

Oyster, Moody, Nicholson, Southerly

So hard to choose


Dylan

Dylan don't worry as I can assure you that you've seen more bass than the Major

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Dylan don't worry as I can assure you that you've seen more bass than the Major

What's a bass?

 

[Searush]

It's a string instrument a bit like a giant violin as far as you & I are concerned, Major.


BTW, Dylan,
The only time I have seen a Puffin in the flesh was a smoked one in Iceland. they usually still have their feathers on when alive & flying, fishing or nesting. you will see plenty at Flamborough Head & all the cliffs along there & it will be lovely & calm to go close inshore & watch 'em fishing with the prevailing Westerlies.

 

[ivorufo]

Wee beastie

Swimming and diving in slow circles just after dawn in St Georges Channel June '10 (Smalls Light in bgrd). Height of dorsal fin estimated 2m+.Got a few more pics if anyone is interested.

 

[Fascadale]

A couple of Orcas past me off the east coast of South Uist last summer. Sent a tingle down my spine, they were almost certainly bigger than my 26ft boat.

Decades ago the presence of Orcas was appreciated by salmon bagnet fishermen on the north coast of Ardnamurchan as they frightened off the seals.

Never heard of them taking an Englishman.......yet

 

[reginaldon]

despite all my years sailing and working at the Natural History unti for the BBc in Bristol never seen either a shark or a dolphin - seen the odd harbour porpoise around essex though. The seals have been a real pleasure on the journey - the one on the Alde began to feel like a friend.

I really hope I get to see such a wonderful thing as a killer whale.

blimey there would be a scrabbling for the camera should such a thing come into view

Dylan

Never seen a puffin in the flesh either... so many treats ahead of self and slug

You missed Dave the Dolphin when passing Folkestone then.
He's since had his tail clipped and has swept away in high dudgeon.

 

[VO5]

On and around Herm Island is the place to see puffins, lots of them.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I'm waiting for puffins to return to Puffin Island now they have got rid of all the rats.

 

[ProDave]

despite all my years sailing and working at the Natural History unti for the BBc in Bristol never seen either a shark or a dolphin

When you make it up this far north, do make sure you and the slug poke your nose into the inner Moray Firth, hopefully you will see the Dolphins here.

They swam alongside us the very first time we took out boat out, which was rather special.

 

[Mark-1]

Well if we're showing off Dolphin encounters:

Thanks to Clyde Wanderer for this one from his boat:


This one was unique, thousands of them:


Never seen a shark and the nearest I've been to a Whale was seeing spray from his nose.

Countless puffins and seals though. (I've even seen a Seal in Southampton water.)

 

[Coaster]

Got a few more pics if anyone is interested.

Yes please, I'd be very interested to see more pics.