How Do Watchers Find Whales in the Salish Sea?

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How Do Watchers Find Whales in the Salish Sea?

Cooperation across borders, of course. Join the search in this Tyee video.

By Gen Cruz, 15 May 2015, TheTyee.ca

How do whale watchers find whales in the Salish Sea? from Gen Cruz on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/127775565

Whale watching is a rapidly growing industry in British Columbia and Washington State. In 2014, the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) switched to a private radio network to improve communication between whale watchers in the Salish Sea. Whale watchers from Wild Whales Vancouver show how the new radio network works.

Directed by Gen Cruz.

Music: Room with a View by Jahzzar.
betterwithmusic.com

Better Days by BenSound.
bensound.com [Tyee]

 

[finaddict]

Watched a small pod 3 cows and 3 calves swim by my place yesterday. One boat saw them and within an hour there were 6 whale watching boats all jockeying for position. An hour time limit with the whales??? not a chance. they surrounded the pod for about 3 hours.

 

[beemer]

Watched a small pod 3 cows and 3 calves swim by my place yesterday. One boat saw them and within an hour there were 6 whale watching boats all jockeying for position. An hour time limit with the whales??? not a chance. they surrounded the pod for about 3 hours.

the industry tries to have a maximum of 1 hour per boat with the whales. It is unlikely that any one boat spend 3 hours with a group of whales. IMHO their are better ways to do whalewatching but unfortunately the government and the general public have bought into a system that addresses the optics and not the real problems that threaten the whales.


beemer

 

[eroyd]

You have to think that even with distance and time regulations, all the constant hounding of these whales has to disturb their feeding patterns and add stress to their lives.

 

[finaddict]

the industry tries to have a maximum of 1 hour per boat with the whales. It is unlikely that any one boat spend 3 hours with a group of whales. IMHO their are better ways to do whalewatching but unfortunately the government and the general public have bought into a system that addresses the optics and not the real problems that threaten the whales.


beemer

No they were all there for that length of time.

 

[Rum Buddies]

the industry tries to have a maximum of 1 hour per boat with the whales. It is unlikely that any one boat spend 3 hours with a group of whales. IMHO their are better ways to do whalewatching but unfortunately the government and the general public have bought into a system that addresses the optics and not the real problems that threaten the whales.


beemer

it maybe the regulation but I've seen boats spending over 1hr with a pod, I'd go so far as to say that's the norm. If it's a 3hr whalewatching tour and the pod is spotted right away, you really think the captain is going to say "well our hour is up, let's go look for seals" - ya right.

And even if that was the case, one boat leaves another one takes it place. There's a never ending pack of boats chasing the whales, at almost all times in the summer.

I don't know what the solution is, maybe a block of time during the day that the commercial whale watchers can use like say 10-2.

Either way as Eroyd said, there's no way all the attention doesn't effect their habits. Probably not the biggest risk to their health, but imagine if you were a whale trying to have whale s*x -- ten 30' foot boats might crap your style.