Close Encounters 2 and the Lack of Discipline Amongst Humpbacks
25 September 2013
Mike
Yesterday evening we were motoring down the coast off Washington, using both motors to make headway in the lumpy seas. The ocean was alive with seabirds of all kinds; murres, cormorants, shearwaters, and albatross to name the ones we recognized. As we traveled along the continental shelf we started seeing humpbacks. It looked as though we would cross paths with one so we had the autopilot off and I was standing at the helm when, sure enough he surfaced about 30 yards ahead of us and moved off West. We relaxed and I bent to get my sunglasses when I heard Annette gasp. This is rarely a good sign and I followed her gaze forward to see a second whale stretched out directly in front of the port hull. Quickly throwing both engines into full reverse I was watching the port daggerboard and bracing for impact when we heard a loud squeal come from between the hulls. There was a third whale doing a panic dive right below the trampline, flicking his tail and disappearing below the starboard hull. Seconds later they both surfaced just behind the boat and carried on nonchalantly in the manner of whales.
We have no idea why we did not hit either whale and there was no damage to the boat, although our shorts were not so blessed. Which brings me to the subject at hand, namely the lack of discipline that humpbacks exhibit. When we were visited by Sei whales in the Gulf of Alaska they announced their approach with "fluke prints" then came slowly alongside, single file, from astern, blew twice and carried on in a dignified manner. Humpbacks, by contrast seem to pop up just about anywhere and in any numbers, making them a chore to be around if one is trying to get somewhere. If only the seis could take the humpbacks in hand, under their flukes as it were, and gently coach them on proper ectiquite I think it would make the oceans a lot safer for everyone.
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