||| from Tracy McQueen |||
5:35 PM on [Saturday], Doe Bay looking east toward South Peapod Island, there are at least six whale hunting boats including Western Explorer II, Blackfish IV, Island Explorer 5, and Western Prince II. I would swear on a stack of orcas that none of those vessels are keeping proper distance from the whales.
I’d also be interested to know how many folks on those jam-packed boats contract Covid-19. Don’t care about that so much but I am surely concerned about upwards of 150 people (ask me for the photos, I have them) tracking what I saw to be only one transient orca.
I can’t begin to understand the thrill of shelling out upwards of $100 for the chance to snap gazillions of photos of these endangered and precious mammals. But I gave up understanding these folks’ motives long ago. I just wish there was better oversight of the whale hunting operators.
On the other end of the island the whalers with inoculates make their way to the gate separating Sucia Lane and the ‘ditch’ where they depart several times a day for the opportunity to view the lovely chiaroscuro hides of the great beasts.
Since I am reasonably sure that the whales receive no recompense for this benighted capital intensive foray on the water the very l;east the capitalists could do would be – should their pin point radar actually locate an active pod – to dump a couple tons of live king in their lap.
Perhaps something could be worked out with the Lummi Nation and their able fleet of fishers/
All islanders and boaters to be vigilant about the distance laws and rather than allow harassment of whales to continue, always report encroachments on the whales’ space.
It is pitiful that we have lost so many whales in the last few years, and I believe that we, as residents of these islands and the whales’ home, have a moral responsibility to protect these beautiful beings of the Northwest Waters.
“To whom much is given, much is expected.”
Spirit Eagle.
“To report harassment of whales in US waters, call NOAA Enforcement: 1-800-853-1964″
From: http://orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_file=Sightings
Let’s continue to call them “whale hunters” instead of “whale watchers” which is what they are!!!
Please don’t put all whale “watch” companies in the same Salish Sea’
In July, 6 of us went out from Deer harbor with Deer Harbor Charters, Nate Averna’s company. 3 other couples were on the boat with us. All masked, no contact. We kept our proper distance from Humpbacks (!) and our own Southern Residents. NO crowding of people or whales. A delightful day…..
Margot: I will continue to call out the offenders as I see them offending. I named them, and I stated that I wish they were properly monitored. That said, as long as there is still a very hot market for folks to see whales, the good operators and the bad operators will continue to operate. I’ve been out on “whale watch” trips (in the past — I’ve sworn off of doing so) where we did not see whales but, of course, we were able to see all sort of wildlife. That’s cool. But it comes at a big price, which includes the whales having to adapt their feeding behavior, which is partly what is killing them. On Saturday I first saw the boats off of Blakeley, crowded together over there on the east side of the island, and I knew there must be whales. That group of boats tracked however many whales there were (I saw only one fin) for more than a few miles and over an hour, before they ended up where I photographed them. How can that possibly be a good thing?