Orcas, Portugal and Unexpected Inspections

LONG_KEELER said:
Too true
We often get a bad press as non essential amateur boaty enthusiasts wanting finance from the general purse. So it's difficult to see where the money will come from unless Orcas start taking people from beaches or interfere with local pleasure boats. It would be nice to see a chart marked where incidents have taken place which might help to lessen the odds. Otherwise I think we are on our own mate!. Collision bulkheads close to the rudder area might help.
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there already is an organisation doing that ,, i think on a monthly basis , how comprehensive it is i dont know , that is one thing that those on the ground can better judge .
 
Graham376 said:
A dummy in the water for them to toss around may train them to do the same with any human who ends up in the water.
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i would think / hope a more intelligent approach would / could / should be taken , where eg if the dummy is being attacked then it should be retrieved straight away ,, i cant i,mmagine any reason for leaving it in for them to play with . let is remember that there are countless documented incidents of orcas interacting with humans but none ( few ) of there being attacks .
 
Here is a short video of the second verified incident of 'slow reversing' as a successful solution. This time with an inflatable dinghy towed from the bow. You can get a sense of the speed of reversing.

This is a reminder (below) of what they described as the video itself has no words. Interestingly, I found this in the comments section of another video in the same location (Sines, Portugal) in which damage had been sustained. if it was the same pod - which seems likely - then it does suggest that the slow reverse solution has merit in protecting the rudder against a group that is otherwise willing to attack.

"We were attacked by two killer whales ... (4 or 5 miles southwest of Sines) in early September this year [2021]. We were traveling on a 33 foot sailboat and the way we managed to defend our rudder was to launch a dinghy in the bow and motoring slowly aft. The orcas spent 80% of their time attacking our dinghy and when they came to our helm, they were forced to attack it from the bow side, which was less comfortable for them because they need to avoid of the keel and propeller. The attack lasted 2 and a half hours and only caused damage to the dinghy."

Edit: I've just been in touch with the owner. He (@vitrodfull on YouTube) had not heard of the slow reverse method being used before or since. They just figured out that it could work as they were aware that orcas would prefer to attack from the rear. Quick thinking guys!

 
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More from @vitrodfull. "The dinghy helped a lot. I would suggest to use two or three fenders on the water to keep them busy, if there is no dinghy."
 
While it is too early to know if 'slow reverse' will prove to be a reliable and lasting solution it is quite possible to now move backwards from solution to speculate why it might work. Superman is laid low by kryptonite, daleks can't go up stairs, and orcas seem not to be able to - or don't like to - swim backwards. A yacht motoring in reverse has formidable defence from a pursuing orca since the propellor is now ahead of the rudder and the rudder presents a much less convenient edge to bite. A deep spade rudder may be more vulnerable but even here it has some protection from the keel which must be negotiated first. Of course, even if successful it might prove a temporary solution as orcas learn new methods of attack but, for the moment, I think it has promise.
 
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Poey50 said:
While it is too early to know if 'slow reverse' will prove to be a reliable and lasting solution it is quite possible to now move backwards from solution to speculate why it might work. Superman is laid low by kryptonite, darleks can't go up stairs, and orcas seem not to be able to swim backwards. A yacht motoring in reverse has formidable defence from a pursuing orca since the propellor is now ahead of the rudder and the rudder presents a much less convenient edge to bite. A deep spade rudder may be more vulnerable but even here it has some protection from the keel which must be negotiated first. Of course, even if successful it might prove a temporary solution as orcas learn new methods of attack but, for the moment, I think it has promise.
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I can't see my long fin Nic39 going astern in a straightish line for two hours . More likely in ever decreasing circles:LOL:. But maybe that will confuse them and they'll just go away.

Not that I will be there but some Nic39 owners of my acquaintance might be.
 
Tradewinds said:
I can't see my long fin Nic39 going astern in a straightish line for two hours . More likely in ever decreasing circles:LOL:. But maybe that will confuse them and they'll just go away.

Not that I will be there but some Nic39 owners of my acquaintance might be.
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They might get bored very quickly with that keel and rudder arrangement!
 
cherod said:
i have not seen that , do you have a name ?
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I watch more youtube than tv. It's built into the tv and it's easy to use so I browse a lot of content. I've no idea what the video wasand it was a clip within a video.
The boat was a catamaran and it was heading for a haul out in Portugal or Spain.
They panned around the boatyard and were shocked to see how many boats have rudder damage.
 
I've just looked at Last interactions | Orca iberica. There's no way that's a single pod of Killers; the geographic area is way too large for the timescales involved. Has any Killer Whale expert looked at the video and photographic records? Killers can be identified reliably from their markings; unfortunately, it's a job for someone who has done it before! Although Killers can swim fast, they also have to spend time hunting, and if they're in an area with prey, they generally stick to it. And if I'm right (and I am no expert on Killer Whales; only what has rubbed off from working alongside people who are!), then it must be some change in the ecology of the region that has triggered this switch in behaviour.

One thing that might help is that all the interactions appear to have taken place on the continental shelf; that fits with what I've read about their habits; they aren't deep divers. So a viable solution might be to sail further offshore, off the continental shelf.
 
shan said:
I think your 'reality' would be a wee bit different had it happened to you.
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Not me. Ive no prob with them being called a-holes, i'd call teenage neds the same, even if their species name is human :)
I'd be bloody cross, partly fascinated, and nervous if I was on a lee shore or had a dead battery.
But I wouldnt shoot the bloody thing , its in its own environment, a place we are privileged to be sometimes but do not actually belong.
Shit happens, you may as well talk about controlling the weather because you dont like gales damaging your sails.
 
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