Orcas and rudders

[Riley Smith]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/killer-whales-keep-attacking-sinking-090349442.html

I've watched several videos of the hunting strategies of the orca and playing around with a rudder doesn't seem much like hunting in my view. Those animals are amazing and BIG!

[Brian N.]

We observed several pods of orcas in the San Juan Islands WA. Impressive, big and apparently highly intelligent. I think even the experts are looking for answers to aggressive behaviors exhibited lately by particular groups. Apex predators tend to be intelligent, big and a bit unpredictable.

[Jim B., CD-25]

I drove commercial whale watch boats in the Pacific Northwest for 5 years, based out of the San Juan Islands.  The Orcas are amazing mammals... some researchers say they are the "second smartest mammals on Earth;" based on what I've seen with them vs humans, I would move the Orcas up a notch.

This behavior is only noted in that area in the far eastern Mediterranean.  Bored teenage Orca behavior?  Seems believable to me.  Having viewed Orca behavior daily for those years, you really see the familial behavior.  The Southern Resident Killer Whales in the Pacific Northwest have a population of 74... sadly, their numbers are dwindling.  They are also some of the most studied of all the Orcas.  They stay with their family pod all their lives.  And when they are in their teenage years (with lifespans of 50+ years), they are indeed playful and active.

Are you in danger of this behavior when in the San Juan Islands or the Canadian Gulf Islands?  No.  With the salmon supply severely depleted, the SRKW population is always in search of their food source.  In fact, there are now more sightings of Transient Killer Whales (Biggs) in the Salish Sea than the Southern Residents.  The transients are the "meat eaters" unlike the SRKWs whose diet is salmon.  I have seen the transients take down Stellar Sea Lions, Minke Whales, and they seem particularly fond of seals and harbor porpoise... and, yes, they will "play" with their food.  It is impressive to see a transient Orca bat a seal far into the air with its tail.

There are strictly enforced laws about how close you can get to these Orcas, with stiff fines and penalties for violating those distance rules; we worked with range finders in the helm to maintain those distances, but the whales don't always get the same memo.  If they should surface close to the boat (and that was a regular occurrence), the captain can still be held liable for violating those distance rules.

Lawmakers seem to think the dwindling population is due to "boat interactions."  I call BS on that, as the Orcas and boats have been interacting for many decades.  Their population didn't become threatened until their food supply of salmon decreased dramatically.  Also, the many toxins in the water (pollution, fertilizers, etc) have taken a toll.

If you can get to the Pacific Northwest to do some boat cruising, you may be treated to the sight of some of these magnificent mammals.  You needn't worry about being "attacked" by them.  I've seen them swim right under the boat, do a roll so they are looking up at you, all with ease and exact movements.

[Brian N.]

Jim, very informative post, thanks. Much has been written about the salmon population. Trout Unlimited just published an article about salmon survival in the Seattle area. Hardly any returning salmon survived in the rivers more than a few hours and never spawned! And yes the incidence of orca attacks appears to be limited to certain populations.

[Riley Smith]

I think they like us, or at least find us amusing or something. They do not attack humans. Not including the love triangle at Sea World, but anyway....

[Jim B., CD-25]

I think they like us, or at least find us amusing or something. They do not attack humans. Not including the love triangle at Sea World, but anyway....

I think you're right, Riley.  They are intelligent; definitely have a "language"... I have often wondered if they, while looking at humans, say: "Some of them show signs of intelligence."  Regarding those SeaWorld attacks: Orcas, like humans, were not meant to be caged.  When you see in person how many miles these Orcas travel each day, it becomes very clear that no "tank" in an aquarium/amusement park is big enough to allow them the freedom they need.

[Riley Smith]

I thought the fish hat from the article was very telling. A fad. They're smart enough to have fads. I've seen one of them smack a seal with its tail. How they hunt is amazing. Surely they talk....there has been some movement on that front and they've been deciphering some whale lingo, although language is a slippery slope because so much of it is dependent on the circumstances and on-going actions of the participants. Sitting listening to beeps without context isn't the way you do this.

[Jim B., CD-25]

I thought the fish hat from the article was very telling. A fad. They're smart enough to have fads. I've seen one of them smack a seal with its tail. How they hunt is amazing. Surely they talk....there has been some movement on that front and they've been deciphering some whale lingo, although language is a slippery slope because so much of it is dependent on the circumstances and on-going actions of the participants. Sitting listening to beeps without context isn't the way you do this.

And research has shown that they have "dialects," and the Southern Residents do not likely speak the same "language" as the transients that are in the same area.  I guess my ear is not as developed: when putting a hydrophone in the water, I couldn't tell the difference in their vocalizations.  All very interesting, though.

Most interesting experience: seeing a "Greeting Ceremony" when J, K, and L Pods would come together.  Most moving experience: seeing a newly born calf being brought to the surface by its aunts to take its first breath.  Most exciting trips: getting a "trifecta" - 3 different whale species in one trip (Orcas, humpbacks, and Minke Whales).

[Norm L.]

Great comments Jim.
Now give us a nature talk on the closest thing to an Orca near you. Gila Monster?

[Jim B., CD-25]

Great comments Jim.
Now give us a nature talk on the closest thing to an Orca near you. Gila Monster?

Fun Gila Monster fact: the top speed a Gila Monster can run is 1 to 1.5 mph, making them slow for a land reptile.  They are not as smart as a Orca.  Apparently, there are Gila Monsters in Arizona - I haven't seen one, yet.  I'm OK with that.  Also, I have not seen a scorpion or a rattle snake here.  Yet.  When out for motorcycle/scooter rides, I frequently see rabbits, coyotes, ground squirrels, lizards (not Gila Monsters, more like geckos), snakes (not rattlers), quail, and roadrunners.  Also not as interesting as Orcas. I am told there are plenty of cougars here, mostly in 55+ communities, hanging around the pool... no in-person experience to report.

 

[noelH]

I subscribe to the journal Nature's newsletter, Nature Briefing. It's free. Just abstracts with links to short articles.  The actual journal Nature is a bit on the pricey side.  Local library is unable to subscribe due to cost. I think subscription is ~$50/month. Peer reviewed and IIRC, no ads. Awhile back was an interesting article regarding the Orca interaction with rudders. Many hypothesis, but no real hard evidence.  Are most the rudder "attacks" when the sailboats are motoring or under sail under very light winds?  Anyone know the Orca's cruising speed and top speed? Guessing significantly faster than most sailboats.

[Jim B., CD-25]

When moving "normally," Orcas will move along at 6 mph or so.  When "porpoising," speeds of 20 mph are typical.  They can reach top speeds of 30 to 35 mph.

There are strictly enforced viewing distances in the Pacific Northwest.  When I was driving commercial boats there, I experienced times where a 20 knot boat couldn't keep up with them.  And many times where they were feeding in an area that I could turn the boat off and drift with the current to watch them.

We were required to keep boat speed below 6 knots when coming up within a half mile of them.  Our company policy was to turn off radar and depth finders when within that half mile distance.

My observation was they were used to boats around them.  Sometimes indifferent, sometimes curious about the boats.  They can be fast, precise, and agile in their movements.

[Norm L.]

I have heard that cougars have interesting hunting habits, mostly by themselves. Operating as a pack doesn't seem to work. They also are known to have dialects, some barely intelligible, particularly late at night after hunting.

[Riley Smith]

After keeping the grandkids, I can believe that the orcas are just messing with the rudders in a juvenile act. LOOK! It makes this CRUNCHING noise when you do THIS!!!!

[Doug SC]

I missed this as I haven't been able to log on. I have seen whales blow off the coast of FL many years ago. Right Whales I think they were as they blow a v shape. I would love to see Orcas. I have been following the story of the Orcas off of Spain. If I remember right, it was a large female that started this.

I never saw a Gila Monster or Cougars while in Arizona but have seen rattlesnakes and scorpions. I probably was there for less than a week if I combine both trips.

I have seen several Cougars while bowhunting in Colorado over the years. I have even been stalked twice by them. One required two reports from a 45 to decide to leave me alone and run off. I ran after it yelling to reinforce the idea that stalking people was a bad idea. Doing elk calls near sunset is what brought them in. I have to admit it was very hard to stay out hunting until it was after dark before hiking back to camp the next day after both incidences. I sure wouldn't want to be intimate with one.