Comments on: Chance encounters between ships and whales – Part 1

By: Daria Blackwell

Daria Blackwell — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:53:56 +0000

Thanks for sharing Rozzie. I’m glad there weren’t any injuries!

By: Rozzie LeBlanc

Rozzie LeBlanc — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 04:08:00 +0000

Interesting read. We were toned by a humpback inside the Great Barrier Reef last year. The conditions: it was dead flat, no wind and we were motoring at 5 knots with one engine on (catamaran), about 11 am good visibility, sunny bright day. I’ve always been old whales will hear your engine and stay away but not the case.
Either it hit us or was just under the water going across us as it hit one hull amidships enough to lift one hull about a meter out of the water. It then hit the other keel and popped out the other side.
We couldn’t see any damage to whale but hubby was more concerned with our hull as it was like hitting a big rubber bus With no apparent damage we went our respective ways. I used to say “oh I hope we see a whale” ill never say that again. I’m happy to see them on TV.

By: Daria Blackwell

Daria Blackwell — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:03:10 +0000

Another report has just come to light. This one in the ARC Europe off Bermuda last month.
http://bernews.com/2012/05/yacht-abandoned-after-it-strikes-whale/#comment-720323

By: Daria Blackwell

Daria Blackwell — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:23:02 +0000

Lovely story Kelly. People oftem forget these magnificent creatures are “wild”!

By: Kelly Watts

Kelly Watts — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:41:45 +0000

What a wonderful experience! I have been swimming and heard the whales off the coast of Hawaii but not the joy and wonder that you described as whales surrounded your boat. That must’ve been magical! We did see a pod of Orca whales in New Zealand and foolishly chased them in our dinghy to photograph them…weeks later, we were horrified as we watched a BBC program about how killer whales drown seals by flopping on top of them (and there we were in our gray dinghy – what were we thinking?!). Thanks for sharing your knowledge and story.

By: Daria Blackwell

Daria Blackwell — Mon, 27 May 2013 10:15:45 +0000

Hi Karen,
Interesting note, thanks for that. We saw a lone killer whale in Nova Scotia in 2008.I wonder if it was Luna.

By: Karen bergman

Karen bergman — Sun, 26 May 2013 02:56:50 +0000

Interesting article. My first encounter with a whale was on a fishing boat off the BC coast in Canada. A killer whale named Luna was visiting and also damaging boat rudders in the area. The whale was said to Bethesda reincarnate grandfather of the local First Nations people. Government wanted to try to reunite Luna with her pod. First Nations said no. They tried to manage her boat contact but eventually she was killed. She visited our boat twice within a week in two very distant locations. Seeing her up close was magnificent. We even overlooked the fact she broke motor mount for our kicker.