Whale strike off Whidbey-gctid805676

[Gsherwood]

Did anyone see the news article about a boat hitting a gray whale in the sound off Whidbey Island? I haven't seen anyone mention it on here. It looked like it was in Saratoga Pass up by the Skagit river.

[aluxury1]

I saw the video, it looked like between Point No point and double bluff. It didn't look like an intentional thing.

[CptCrunchie]

A member posted the link a couple days ago.

http://www.baylinerownersclub.org/index.php/forum/general-boating-topics/80983-bayliner-vs-whaler

IMHO, the operator should have taken a clue from all the whale watching boats gathered around, rather than plow through the middle of them. We see those boats all the time in Puget Sound, and they only sit in one place where whales are gathered. Otherwise, they are moving.

[builderdude]

Im sure the guy didn't know there were whales there. Nobody would do that intentionally.

[Shawnh]

One thing about the Puget Sound, there are a lot of things in the water. It takes a keen eye to notice logs, snags, whales, seals on or just below the surface of the water.

But, that being said, if there is even one whale watch boat floating around, there WILL be whales near by. That is a given. And with whales in the water, a prudent boater will slow down or stop and figure out where they are before proceeding past the whale watch boat.

[CptCrunchie]

"Shawnh" post=805709 wrote:
One thing about the Puget Sound, there are a lot of things in the water. It takes a keen eye to notice logs, snags, whales, seals on or just below the surface of the water.

But, that being said, if there is even one whale watch boat floating around, there WILL be whales near by. That is a given. And with whales in the water, a prudent boater will slow down or stop and figure out where they are before proceeding past the whale watch boat.

My point, exactly. Not saying it was intentional at all, I'm saying he wasn't paying attention to what was happening around him. When there is a whale watching boat that isn't on plane, just look onboard and see where the cameras and faces are pointed.

[Solandri]

"CptCrunchie" post=805717 wrote:
My point, exactly. Not saying it was intentional at all, I'm saying he wasn't paying attention to what was happening around him. When there is a whale watching boat that isn't on plane, just look onboard and see where the cameras and faces are pointed.

If you skip to 0:31 in the video, the whale watch boat is actually a catamaran ferry without much in the way of outdoor viewing space. It's not at all obvious that it's a whale watch boat. Looking at the boat's website, it's clear it normally operates as a ferry and only occasionally does whale watches.

Watching the strike itself, the boat owner probably saw the whale just before he hit it. The boat comes to a halt almost immediately, and does not accelerate after the strike. In the slow motion zoomed clip, you can see the pilot at the helm. So it's not like he went to the head while underway. Either he was paying attention and saw the whale and killed the engine ASAP, or the kill switch lanyard pulled out.

[CptCrunchie]

"Solandri" post=805743 wrote:
If you skip to 0:31 in the video, the whale watch boat is actually a catamaran ferry without much in the way of outdoor viewing space. It's not at all obvious that it's a whale watch boat. Looking at the boat's website, it's clear it normally operates as a ferry and only occasionally does whale watches.

Watching the strike itself, the boat owner probably saw the whale just before he hit it. The boat comes to a halt almost immediately, and does not accelerate after the strike. In the slow motion zoomed clip, you can see the pilot at the helm. So it's not like he went to the head while underway. Either he was paying attention and saw the whale and killed the engine ASAP, or the kill switch lanyard pulled out.

Guess you should read the text. An eye witness stated, "It looked like [the boat] was headed straight for the whale, and he was, and he hit it, and we were just shocked," Lisa Shannon, a passenger aboard the San Juan Clipper, told King-5 News in Seattle.

"He hit the whale at full speed. It seemed like he sped up to get through the boats like they were in his way."

There were numerous boats watching the whales.

[Guest]

This is ridiculous, so many shoulda, coulda, woulda. So I suppose everyone being critical and judging (without facts or first hand knowledge) has never been the at fault party in say a traffic accident? Or struck a log in the water? Accidents happen, whales are hard to spot in the water, precisely why so many get struck. And for the lady on the boat saying it looked like he was speeding up (read, being reckless)? What's that based off of? I'm certain it was a typical news interview....we all know they pick the sharpest tool in the shed to intetview. How do we know he knew it was active whale watching or even a whale watching boat? Too many unknowns to pass judgement. However I think all would agree that it is awful that a whale was injured.

[CptCrunchie]

"Valley" post=805754 wrote:
This is ridiculous, so many shoulda, coulda, woulda. So I suppose everyone being critical and judging (without facts or first hand knowledge) has never been the at fault party in say a traffic accident? Or struck a log in the water? Accidents happen, whales are hard to spot in the water, precisely why so many get struck. And for the lady on the boat saying it looked like he was speeding up (read, being reckless)? What's that based off of? I'm certain it was a typical news interview....we all know they pick the sharpest tool in the shed to intetview. How do we know he knew it was active whale watching or even a whale watching boat? Too many unknowns to pass judgement. However I think all would agree that it is awful that a whale was injured.

So, where do you live? Do you cruise these waters? Have you ever cruised Puget Sound? I see you haven't filled in your profile, so how do we even know we can give your opinion any credence? Have you even seen a whale watching boat? On the other hand, I live here. I boat here. I fish here. I've seen every whale watching boat, lots of whales, and no one I know of, nor have I ever seen someone cut between a cluster of these boats. There is no mistaking them. In fact, most of the local boaters know and have seen the entire whale watching fleet at one time or another. Indeed, it was an accident, but one a few of us locals believe should never have happened.

But as to us passing judgement, how do you come to your judgement that the whale was injured?

Based on your comment, seems this boater was just as naive as you seem to be.

[yachtman]

Tragic for sure but things happen. I don't think the guy meant to ,not only did he not mean to its impossible to even know where that whale was going to come up.

There may have been whale boats but unless you are familiar with what they look like and know what they are doing the guy may have not known. For example the first time I saw whale boats i had no idea that's what was going on other than hey look at all the boats.

Maybe the guy can see fine but couldn't recognize them from a distance and took them as fishing boats or a ferry

I have been boating that area for 30 years and I can tell you you absolutely cannot know or see when a whale is going to breach. I have been fishing out there and had them come up within feet of my of my boat. I had no idea they were there and you cannot see them unless they are above the surface.

I've seen them on my fish finder just feet under my boat while fishing but I still couldn't visually see them.

I will say the guy was going pretty fast however it's plausible that he didn't realize what was going on around him until it was too late and its still impossible to know where the whale would have been.

[SomeSailor]

Those whale watching boats run right of Everett and where he hit the whale he should've gotten a clue that a boat that big (the Clipper and several others) were doing something. But that being said he surely didn't intentionally hit the whale.

He's likely catching lots of crap for it and will probably be ticketed for it.

[dmcb]

I don't know a damn thing about whales but I do know this.

When I started boating boaters were courteous of other boaters. A boat on plane through a lot of boats sitting there would have been enough to have other boaters shun that boater.

To this day you would never see me do this, whales or not.

This is the main thing I detest about modern boaters.

The lack of common courteously.

IMO this alone would have prevented the injury.

Doug

[CptCrunchie]

"dmcb" post=805775 wrote:
I don't know a damn thing about whales but I do know this.

When I started boating boaters were courteous of other boaters. A boat on plane through a lot of boats sitting there would have been enough to have other boaters shun that boater.

To this day you would never see me do this, whales or not.

This is the main thing I detest about modern boaters.

The lack of common courteously.

IMO this alone would have prevented the injury.

Doug

Point well made. Indeed, whale or not, I completely agree.

[yachtman]

I don't give the guy a pass like I said I thought he was going too fast but I don't want to throw him in jail either. I don't generally go fast unless I'm trying to get somewhere but this still could happen whale boats or not. You don't need a bunch of whale boats around you taking your picture to have the unfortunate chance of striking a whale or anything just under the surface for that matter.

I bet it happens way more times than is reported or seen by others.