Orca attack

[Close hauled]

In my opinion being at sea has more than enough intrinsic danger without some killer whales wanting, for whatever reason, to hunt you and beat your boat up. Imagine it happening at night in a capful of wind, big swell with the Portuguese coast under your lee. I have and it gives me bad dreams. The cost to the Spanish and Portuguese rescue authorities must be immense and the effect on yacht crews must be terrifying. I think that anything they can do to reduce the risk should be welcomed.

 

[billskip]

Cynic - I think they are just trying to prove one that works but no further info at present.

I have seen many one armed Greek fishermen, and been around when they tossed dynamite into the water ....no need for experiments.....
Cynic you say ...well mebby so,....but I'm led to believe sonic gadgets have already been dismissed.
I'm a believer in if going into territory that's dangerous then take what's necessary to protect yourself.

 

[Graham376]

In my opinion being at sea has more than enough intrinsic danger without some killer whales wanting, for whatever reason, to hunt you and beat your boat up. Imagine it happening at night in a capful of wind, big swell with the Portuguese coast under your lee. I have and it gives me bad dreams. The cost to the Spanish and Portuguese rescue authorities must be immense and the effect on yacht crews must be terrifying. I think that anything they can do to reduce the risk should be welcomed.

Not much cost to them as towing disabled boats is charged to the owner and can run into thousands of euro. I think it was last year when a UK guy was charged over €4k for a tow into Cascais after engine failure.

 

[Wansworth]

Not much cost to them as towing disabled boats is charged to the owner and can run into thousands of euro. I think it was last year when a UK guy was charged over €4k for a tow into Cascais after engine failure.

Same in Spainyour yacht has to conform with government mandate and e equipped and insured…….supposedly this covers being towed in.

 

[Close hauled]

Yes I’m aware of that but it is a drain on resource. The point I was trying to make is that everybody looses when a boat is hit by an orca. We should be supporting efforts to eliminate attacks. (Apart from dynamite) Although I’m not sure I expect the towage costs are covered by insurance which in turn will end up in increased premiums for all of us. In the US the coastguard will only respond if life is in peril - everything else requires a commercial organisation like Tow Boat US.

 

[Laser310]

In the US the coastguard will only respond if life is in peril - everything else requires a commercial organisation like Tow Boat US.

The USCG will rescue people, and they are pretty good at it.., but they are not in the business of rescuing boats.

If you are at sea, almost never will they take your boat in tow.

But USCG threshold for involvement is a bit lower than "life in peril". They respond to all kinds of calls where life is not in peril. But they are not towing your boat.

Rounding Hatteras southbound on a rough December evening I listened on the VHF as they took a couple off a cruising boat, pretty much just because they wanted to get off. The coastguard assured them that if they could only wait 12 hours or so, conditions would moderate. They did not want to wait and a helicopter got them. It wasn't that bad. Of course, I was on a rather large new Swan.., and they were on about a 32ft old cruiser that probably shouldn't have gone out of sight of land.., so our perspectives were a bit different.

 

[Laser310]

.

 

[Close hauled]

Dearly beloved, I fear I have strayed too far from the original post.
Here endeth the lesson

 

[Koeketiene]

Interesting article from the Beeb: Why are orcas suddenly ramming boats?

 

[BurnitBlue]

Interesting article from the Beeb: Why are orcas suddenly ramming boats?

According to the article it seems that Orca attacks on rudders show a bias towards sailing yachts and leave motor vessals alone. If this is even slightly true then it offers a clue to their motivation. A sailboat moves without an noisy "engine thing" just like they do and all other sea creatures. Therefore they assume they are some form of sea creature. Unlike a motor boat which is an alien form. However they cannot understand how a sailboat moves. They must understand that most seacreatures use their tail fins therefore sailing yachts also must do the same. It must be the "rudders" but how? Inspection to understand by a ten ton seacreature with just a nose to prod with can cause damage.

Therefore, get the sails down and use the engine to pass danger spots.

 

[Adios]

I'm still thinking its them asking for food like they get out the back of fishing boats since the discarding due to quotas started. They could test this by putting a rudder like protrusion near the front of a test vessel and see if they are interested in the front end or only the usual food delivery end.

 

[Seven Spades]

If you are planing to sail along the coast of Portugal or go into the med from offshore then I strongly advise you to join orcas.pt - Orcas / Sailing boats in Portugal and Spain it is free. It is a bit complicated. First you sign up then they send you an invitation to join two private groups on "Telegram" which is a mobile app.

Orcas PT has access to the trackers fitted to some of the the pods. The tracking information is not made public but the group publishes accurate information about the location of the Orcas. I just brought my boat back from the med and during that time none of the boats in the group were attacked because we all knew where they were and how to avoid them. Other boats who had not joined the group were sailing directly into the path of the orcas with the expected results. It was frustrating watching the boats on AIS simply sail straight into them and then become disabled even though members of the groups tried on many occasions to call the boats on VHF

Things have slightly changed since then as the Orcas have split into what looks like three groups and the ares where they are operating it is much more difficult to get into shallow water so you are now much more vulnerable. The orcas seem to follow the 20m contour so it is very important to be in water that is shallower than that if you are near them.

 

[billskip]

Other boats who had not joined the group were sailing directly into the path of the orcas with the expected results. It was frustrating watching the boats on AIS simply sail straight into them and then become disabled

Really ? You can see boats being attacked on AIS? How many boats were there? When was this ?

 

[webcraft]

Good money spinner...they will authorize only one type ...which will only be available through them..

Readily available (in Spain anyway) cheap firecrackers have been used by more than a few yachts now as accoustic deterrents to discourage unwanted orca attention, apparently with 100% success. Much is made of the use of any such deterrent being illegal in Spanish waters, but Spanish rules appear to ban ANYTHING that might upset the orcas, including reversing, making rude faces or blowing raspberries . . .

- W

 

[billskip]

Readily available (in Spain anyway) cheap firecrackers have been used by more than a few yachts now as accoustic deterrents to discourage unwanted orca attention, apparently with 100% success. Much is made of the use of any such deterrent being illegal in Spanish waters, but Spanish rules appear to ban ANYTHING that might upset the orcas, including reversing, making rude faces or blowing raspberries . . .

- W

You have described the reason for my post...I know Spain has made it illegal to have any deterrent, that's why, although considered cynical, I wrote it....
Simply put ....if you use any deterrent other than ours you will be prosecuted....
A thunder flashbang and if they are as intelligent as is said the will give up playing the game ....

 

[Biggles Wader]

You have described the reason for my post...I know Spain has made it illegal to have any deterrent, that's why, although considered cynical, I wrote it....
Simply put ....if you use any deterrent other than ours you will be prosecuted....
A thunder flashbang and if they are as intelligent as is said the will give up playing the game ....

Maybe they like the free firework display and will keep coming back for more. All part of the great game they have invented and what fun it is.

 

[webcraft]

Maybe they like the free firework display and will keep coming back for more. All part of the great game they have invented and what fun it is.

NO, they go away. Probably with a headache or earache.

- W

 

[fisherman]

Part of this link is a lot about Orca attacks, expect you've clocked it already....
The real story behind the Atlantic's record-breaking seaweed blobs

 

[Adios]

Part of this link is a lot about Orca attacks, expect you've clocked it already....
The real story behind the Atlantic's record-breaking seaweed blobs

Attacks since 2020. Timeline then coincides with the end of legal discarding of fish. In the years before estimated 1.7m tonnes of fish discarded a year. End the discarding fish in EU waters

82% of EU fishermen's catch is in the Atlantic Fishing production in the EU

I can't find how many boats are from Mediterranean ports but safe to assume the Gibraltar Straights area is a bottle neck for a fair number of boats returning from fishing in the Atlantic.

I picture fish sorting happening immediately its dumped on the deck in smaller boats but in these mega trawlers does the sorting and discarding happen while boats are returning to port as well? Anyway my point is that area is busy with local fishing and probably a hot spot for dumping fish from the returning Atlantic boats.

We know Orcas are lazy feeders and will utilize human fishing for easy meals "Catania, who has fished in Gibraltarian waters for decades, says these interactions are very unusual for this critically endangered subpopulation of orcas (Orcinus orca). These orcas were already known to take Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the lines of fishing boats. “The killer whales would patiently wait for the fishermen to catch and fight with the fish until it was exhausted and then, once the fishermen were ready to bring it on board, they would ‘attack’, bite and steal the tuna,” says Susana García Tiscar at the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain. This, however, is as far as interactions with fishers used to go. The orcas were never previously interested in vessels." https://archive.fo/OFxu2

If these Orcas grew accustomed to easy feeds out the back of boats, which reduced dramatically from 2019, why would it be a surprise if they are prodding at boats to ask for their free food?

I suggested this before but I never see anyone talking about this as a possibility so unless someone can convince me why its wrong I can't help thinking its not been considered enough yet

 

[fisherman]

Did you read the link because none of what you say is suggested in it.