Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-08-2014, 01:16 AM   #1
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
Whale Disentanglement in Oz

It`s whale migration time north on the east coast of Australia. I just heard radio reports of a distressed 10 meter(around 35ft) long humpback entangled in fishing net and floats, off Byron Bay Beach on the NSW far north coast. A specialist team was called in to free it. The animal, tired from its own attempts to free itself, was more docile than expected, they were able to cut away the netting.
Sadly this happens too often. The skill and bravery of the rescuers is to be applauded, the danger of a whack from a tail does not bear thinking about. They go in close, with special long handled cutters, to work their magic. Do the whales know they are being helped? I think they do.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2014, 03:47 AM   #2
TF Site Team
 
City: Ex-Brisbane, (Australia), now Bribie Island, Qld
Vessel Name: Now boatless - sold 6/2018
Vessel Model: Had a Clipper (CHB) 34
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,101
Yes, I've just watched the footage on the news Bruce, and I think they do understand, the way it restrained its tail movements while they worked on it was impressive.
__________________
Pete
Peter B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2014, 10:00 PM   #3
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
Now there are reports of a second instance yesterday, on the SE coast of New South Wales, and of another today, on the far north NSW coast/south east Queensland coast, near the border.
Twice a year the E coast of Australia is a whale highway, going north now often to calve followed by further "prep" for future calving, returning south later, females with calf. I wish boats were more careful with abandoned nets.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-10-2014, 09:15 PM   #4
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
The most recent event turned out to be a stranding, for 36 hours. Rescuers erected a tent over the 8M whale,dousing it with water. After several attempts to direct it seaward, was towed into deeper water by what looked like an indomitable Steber 40, (popular with rescue and police services) using a bridle and single towline. Whales don`t have a towing eye, wonder how it was harnessed. It seems a GPS issue caused the stranding, hope the whale`s GPS was successfully rebooted.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-10-2014, 10:45 PM   #5
Guru
 
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
I wonder if it's the same grouping of Humpback whales that visit California annually? Have been told these whales migrate the coast north to Alaska and no idea how far south.
__________________
Craig

It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
CPseudonym is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-11-2014, 12:02 AM   #6
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
Craig, I think you have your own travelers. Our delicate lot leave Antarctica in winter for warmer climes, go up the east coast, and return the same way months later. I believe there are others which do the same on the Aust. west coast(Hendo territory). Numbers are increasing, whale watching is now a tourist industry, whale spotters record the passing parade, especially the ones they see every year.
It is remarkable on the east coast, because whales, especially the southern right whale (so named as it was the "right" whale to kill)used to encounter whalers at Twofold Bay, Eden on the NSW south coast, who were aided by (so called) "killer whales" which would shepherd passing whales to the whalers, in exchange for food rewards.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-11-2014, 12:33 AM   #7
Guru
 
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
Makes perfect sense Bruce, years ago we had one particular whale that got "lost" on the trip. Seems he took a turn inside the Golden Gate Bridge and believe at least once or twice swam up into the freshwater Delta.

IIRC he got the named "Humphrey the wayward whale". Caused quite a stir with marine biologists trying to get him turned around and heading back out to sea. My armchair theory was Humphrey figured out there was warm water about a thousand miles closer so shoulda been named the "lazy whale".
__________________
Craig

It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
CPseudonym is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-11-2014, 09:20 PM   #8
TF Site Team
 
FlyWright's Avatar
 
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
Here's a summary of our wayward whales, Humphrey, Delta and Dawn. The restaurant, Humphrey's, at Antioch Marina (now closed) was named after Humphrey.

Humphrey the Whale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Delta and Dawn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
__________________
My boat is my ark. It's my mobile treehouse and my floating fishing cabin. It's my retreat and my respite. Everyday I thank God I have a boat! -Al FJB

@DeltaBridges - 25 Delta Bridges in 25 Days
FlyWright is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2014, 04:23 AM   #9
TF Site Team
 
City: Ex-Brisbane, (Australia), now Bribie Island, Qld
Vessel Name: Now boatless - sold 6/2018
Vessel Model: Had a Clipper (CHB) 34
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,101
It appears to be a north and south thing - ours go to Antartica in the summer and come up to north Autralian waters to calve in our winter, yours do likewise from the Arctic/Alasks region down your coasts to warmer middle American waters to calve, in the northern winter then return north during your summer.
__________________
Pete
Peter B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2014, 05:09 PM   #10
Moderator Emeritus
 
jwnall's Avatar
 
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
Since this seems to be a pod of mods, thought I should at least chime in, although not much whale activity here in Northern Florida. We do have a Great White in the Gulf of Mexico, though, which the specialists are watching with avid interest (got a transmitter on her) and which the public relations people are scared to death the tourists on the beaches will somehow find out about. :-)
__________________
John
jwnall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2014, 05:37 PM   #11
TF Site Team
 
FlyWright's Avatar
 
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
"pod of mods" LOL!

__________________
My boat is my ark. It's my mobile treehouse and my floating fishing cabin. It's my retreat and my respite. Everyday I thank God I have a boat! -Al FJB

@DeltaBridges - 25 Delta Bridges in 25 Days
FlyWright is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2014, 11:07 PM   #12
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwnall View Post
..although not much whale activity here in Northern Florida. We do have a Great White in the Gulf of Mexico, though, which the specialists are watching with avid interest (got a transmitter on her) and which the public relations people are scared to death the tourists on the beaches will somehow find out about. :-)
Is the "Great White" a shark, or a whale? We have a rare white whale which annually transits the coast, easily spotted. In Western Australia the Govt. declared war, amid much controversy, on sharks following a number of deaths due to likely great white attacks. It is doubtful killing GWs does any good, some politicians feel better, families of victims often oppose the kill.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2014, 06:37 AM   #13
Guru
 
City: Georgia
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 951
The sea is their home. People are the ones who are "a fish out of water" when we're in their home.

But, for the millions of people who visit the shores and frolic in the surf, the bigger worry and threat to health is sunburn and it's long term effects, not a shark nibble.
Rambler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2014, 08:48 AM   #14
Moderator Emeritus
 
jwnall's Avatar
 
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceK View Post
Is the "Great White" a shark, or a whale? .
Shark. Her name is Katherine. Tagged at some point on the East Coast, and the scientists have been following her ever since. Anyone who wants to look at the track can go to the website OCEARCH.ORG »Profile Katharine and see where she is. Right now, off of Sarasota, Florida.
__________________
John
jwnall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2014, 09:48 AM   #15
Hospitality Officer
 
Andy G's Avatar
 
City: Pittwater
Vessel Name: Sarawana
Vessel Model: IG 36 Quad Cabin
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,897
How can you call a Great White shark Katherine?
Andy G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2014, 01:36 AM   #16
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy G View Post
How can you call a Great White shark Katherine?
I suggest, very politely.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2014, 03:19 AM   #17
Moderator Emeritus
 
Bay Pelican's Avatar
 
City: Chicago, IL
Vessel Name: Bay Pelican
Vessel Model: Krogen 42
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,993
Like good tourists anywhere when we started our trip down the Canadian St. Lawrence river we were looking forward to seeing whales. Never expected that they would be a nuisance. Canada (rightly) requires boats to go into neutral when they come close to a whale (forget whether 100 or 300 meters) on the St. Lawrence. Exception for the safety of the vessel. On certain sections of the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay Rivers the whales were so numerous that we were delayed too often and for too long. My decision was that not making our destination in daylight constituted a risk to the safety of the vessel. We were very careful and slow when necessary, but for some reason the whales seem attracted to our boat.
__________________
Marty
Bay Pelican is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2014, 08:48 AM   #18
Guru
 
City: Here
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,940
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bay Pelican View Post
We were very careful and slow when necessary, but for some reason the whales seem attracted to our boat.
Think they'd be less attracted to a Bayliner ?
boatpoker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2014, 12:46 PM   #19
Moderator Emeritus
 
jwnall's Avatar
 
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy G View Post
How can you call a Great White shark Katherine?
Hard to say. I've always just kind of figured that the researcher who gave her the name "Katherine" was probably a woman, and had a mother-in-law named Katherine.
__________________
John
jwnall is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012