Orca's attacking spanish boats ?

GHA said:
Would you care if someone says they're just playing.... gotta seriously freak you out getting rammed and losing the rudder :eek:

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I find this story hard to believe, a. An orca does not know what a rudder is so is not internationally trying to disable it,
B. It seems curious and is bobbing the boat and no doubt a nice fin rudder with no protection will bend
C. Do you not think if you had a camera you would have filmed the orca reapting the attack and show us , no instead we get a clip of an orca
a swimming past with the youtube heading we were attacked , this is how these people get traffic to their site using stupid statements and false observations and you have fallen for it by clicking on their link feeding the frenzy of YouTube sailors viaing for your attention
 
Hi Flying Goose
FlyingGoose said:
I find this story hard to believe, a. An orca does not know what a rudder is so is not internationally trying to disable it,
B. It seems curious and is bobbing the boat and no doubt a nice fin rudder with no protection will bend
C. Do you not think if you had a camera you would have filmed the orca reapting the attack and show us , no instead we get a clip of an orca
a swimming past with the youtube heading we were attacked , this is how these people get traffic to their site using stupid statements and false observations and you have fallen for it by clicking on their link feeding the frenzy of YouTube sailors viaing for your attention
Click to expand...

I promise you this is genuine. It is the boat I co-own being sailed back to England by Justin, a very experienced delivery skipper. I could show you the picture of the cracked rudder bearing on our Hallberg Rassy 36, or of the GPS track showing her being spun round a few times.

It happened today (11th September) at about 1230, about 7 miles off from A Coruna where they had refueled. I have just been told that there is thought to be pod of 7 Orcas of which 2 young ones are attaching rudders. Justin and the crew are well but a little shaken. Needless to say, it is a lift out and probably extensive repairs
 
No Orcas are pretty smart.

I see them regularly, I have had a large bull come right at my small 17 ft boat and pass right under it. He was much bigger than my boat. Just a curiosity pass, as I was reeling in my lines,
if I had a fish on he might have stolen it.
To me it was a exceptional view of a magnificent wild creature, to someone else? Perhaps frightening.
on this coast there are three distinctly seperate populat

resident pods eat exclusively fish,
transient pods eat exclusivey marine mammals incredibly interesting to see when they hunt, Nature can certainly appear cruel or shocking, easily frightening, they are never known to have attacked a human.

The BBC took some fantastic footage of orca hunting seal on a beach in Chile. The photographer got footage while diving of orca passing right by him on thier way in to the beach. Not know to have ever attacked divers with cameras,
personally I would have stayed in the boat JIK.

there are also offshore pods, little is known about them, they are seldom seen close to shore, what they eat is a mystery.

bottom line I think they are smart enough to figure out humans are dangerous.

I have had a pilot whale rub it’s back on the bottom of the boat, my guess it was itchy.

I have seen amazing footage of orca creating a wave to wash seals of an ice flow In the Antarctic. Discreation, I would stay on the boat.

Any wild animal can be dangerous if it feels threatened, even cute ones like whales.
 
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PaulReds said:
Hi Flying Goose


I promise you this is genuine. It is the boat I co-own being sailed back to England by Justin, a very experienced delivery skipper. I could show you the picture of the cracked rudder bearing on our Hallberg Rassy 36, or of the GPS track showing her being spun round a few times.

It happened today (11th September) at about 1230, about 7 miles off from A Coruna where they had refueled. I have just been told that there is thought to be pod of 7 Orcas of which 2 young ones are attaching rudders. Justin and the crew are well but a little shaken. Needless to say, it is a lift out and probably extensive repairs
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I do not disbelieve they had a curious orca, but the title is they were ATTACKED this is nonsense ,this looks like a female and perhaps it was cautious of its calfs but they are the apex predator of the ocean and have no fear , it was perhaps bumping the boat as a friendly warning or curiosity , just because some one is an experienced skipper does not mean they are an animal behaviourist, too many shout FOUL when a shark or orca is near in their habitat and doing what they do.
A curious orca hitting a part of a boat is not attacking the boat , I think there was a thread about skeg hung rudder and fin so the moral of this story get a skeg better for you:LOL:
 
Thanks Paul for trying to put the record straight! It’s funny to see that my video is being posted on various forums and all sorts of comments are coming in from people not knowing what happened. Suggesting it was fake? in South Africa? etc. With such authority! I guess that’s the internet for you.

We had Cimma - marine biologists and specialists visit us yesterday when we were towed in (as well as journalists etc)

Cimma said it’s a pod of 7 with two adolescent males and they have had several very similar incidents this year. (two last week etc)

The adolescents typically come in without warning and below the surface (just as with us), so you have no idea why the wheel gets ripped out of your hands and the boat gets spun around.

I initially suspected it was the autopilot problem as it’s a hydraulic pilot and we had been having problems with it, hence why I was hand steering with it switched off at the time.

Cimma said they suspect they are probably fine tuning their stealth and hunting skills (attack!)

They are sending some specialists and divers to the boat again today from Vigo to inspect for marks etc to try to understand things better.
They have been monitoring this pod and are concerned as this is very unusual behaviour. And they want to understand what’s going on to help prevent anything more serious in the future (amongst other things).

it is a very well build Hallberg-Rassywith a strong rudder.

The initial interaction lasted around 5 minutes.

The rudder was hit at least 15 times and the boat spun around two or three time’s (several pushes). I have the track from Navionics for the whole incidents and It looks crazy!

It took about an hour for the tow to get to us in force 7 conditions and 10 mins into the tow we got pushed sideways again repeatedly whilst we were running at 8 knots to try to stop us surfing in the two to three meter waves.

I was on the bow keeping the tow lines (professional tow strop) on the forward cleats with my feet, as it was very stiff, cable like strop and was not holding on to the cleats well on its own.

The strop was damaged by the bow roller as we were again, hit sideways under tow at speed.

My crew videoed this and when it came up and started “porpoising”

I say it as we are not sure if it was more than one. The video only shows one but Cimma said that doesn’t necessarily mean it was just the one as they have been seen doing this together as part of their action.

It then came right along side me and looked me straight in the eye before disappearing.

The strop broke a short time later from the damage caused.

I hope that clarifies things a little?

Justin
 
JustCrow said:
Thanks Paul for trying to put the record straight! It’s funny to see that my video is being posted on various forums and all sorts of comments are coming in from people not knowing what happened. Suggesting it was fake? in South Africa? etc. With such authority! I guess that’s the internet for you.

We had Cimma - marine biologists and specialists visit us yesterday when we were towed in (as well as journalists etc)

Cimma said it’s a pod of 7 with two adolescent males and they have had several very similar incidents this year. (two last week etc)

The adolescents typically come in without warning and below the surface (just as with us), so you have no idea why the wheel gets ripped out of your hands and the boat gets spun around.

I initially suspected it was the autopilot problem as it’s a hydraulic pilot and we had been having problems with it, hence why I was hand steering with it switched off at the time.

Cimma said they suspect they are probably fine tuning their stealth and hunting skills (attack!)

They are sending some specialists and divers to the boat again today from Vigo to inspect for marks etc to try to understand things better.
They have been monitoring this pod and are concerned as this is very unusual behaviour. And they want to understand what’s going on to help prevent anything more serious in the future (amongst other things).

it is a very well build Hallberg-Rassywith a strong rudder.

The initial interaction lasted around 5 minutes.

The rudder was hit at least 15 times and the boat spun around two or three time’s (several pushes). I have the track from Navionics for the whole incidents and It looks crazy!

It took about an hour for the tow to get to us in force 7 conditions and 10 mins into the tow we got pushed sideways again repeatedly whilst we were running at 8 knots to try to stop us surfing in the two to three meter waves.

I was on the bow keeping the tow lines (professional tow strop) on the forward cleats with my feet, as it was very stiff, cable like strop and was not holding on to the cleats well on its own.

The strop was damaged by the bow roller as we were again, hit sideways under tow at speed.

My crew videoed this and when it came up and started “porpoising”

I say it as we are not sure if it was more than one. The video only shows one but Cimma said that doesn’t necessarily mean it was just the one as they have been seen doing this together as part of their action.

It then came right along side me and looked me straight in the eye before disappearing.

The strop broke a short time later from the damage caused.

I hope that clarifies things a little?

Justin
Click to expand...
Sorry that should read Cemma!
 
JustCrow - that clarifies things perfectly, both about this attack and the craziness of keyboard warriors on the internet.

A Spanish friend has been discussing with me similar attacks in the Strait of Gibraltar, Bay of Cadiz and Galicia. The Spanish press reports that it is assumed to be the same pod travelling north as tuna migrate with two or three adolescents that have formed the habit of attacking boat rudders.

I use the word attack deliberately as, objectively that is what it is. A systematic action with negative consequences upon the target. I don't imply any motive to the Orcas; their intentions are unknowable to us. Anthropomorphic speculation is fun, though, and I indulge in it. But it says more about us as humans than the animals we project onto! ?
 
Graham376 said:
Local dolphin watch boat has reported a couple of pods of orcas off Faro this last week, which is unusual.
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Also several sightings of orcas off Portimao and Cavoeiro. Some of them only 1/2 mile offshore. There was a video knocking about from one of the dolphin boats where they came within 5 metres of 3 orcas. The boat sensibly didn't hang around too long. They seem to be quite close in this year compared to previous years. Following the fish I guess. Probably why I never catch any now. :(
 
6 boats attacked off Gib in July all with damaged rudders, report of a navy yacht attacked some 10 days ago rudder damaged and towed in and now Paul Reds HR. Sounds like the same pod to me with a couple of rogue adolescent males. If this was usual behaviour there wouldnt be a thread running, if they dont grow out of it this is only likely to end up with one result
 
chrishscorp said:
6 boats attacked off Gib in July all with damaged rudders, report of a navy yacht attacked some 10 days ago rudder damaged and towed in and now Paul Reds HR. Sounds like the same pod to me with a couple of rogue adolescent males. If this was usual behaviour there wouldnt be a thread running, if they dont grow out of it this is only likely to end up with one result
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We would have to carry rifles again.
 
I wonder what they are at? Perhaps it is just fun to play with a boat?
When I was a child fishing off rocks a pod was passing close by, one suddenly broke off and headed for me. Felt like I could have poked it with the rod. Decided a tactical withdrawal of running up the rocks was the best option!
 
RupertW said:
We would have to carry rifles again.
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A cherry bomb would probably scare them off sharpish without risking much harm to them. Might be a useful addition to the flare pack.

Count yourselves lucky. Round here it's so overfished we don't even get dolphins.. :(
 
Spoke to a marine biologist this morning who is on a research group looking at the problem. Evidently, Orcas normally learn from their mothers but believe it's a young orphan doing the damage, attracted in the first place by depth sounders. When I questioned the distance between events, he says pods can cover 200 km/day or more.
 
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