L&A Cruiser's Forum

Just saw this on Fox.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/30/bad-worse-owner-sailboat-crushed-whale-face-years-prison/?test=latestnews

According to the story, they had "no engine". I'd find it hard to believe that a sailboat, under sail power alone, could "harass" a whale capable of speeds much faster than the vessel involved. BUT, not being there and only knowing what I read about it, I can't really say. Still...

Sounds like an accusation the Sea Shepherds would make. Poppycock. The whale clearly knew they were there. It went to them. If sailing past a submerged mammal you have no way of detecting is a form of harassment we're in trouble. I guarantee most of us have sailed a lot closer to marine mammals than 300M without even knowing it.

I read in previous accounts that the whale was breaching nearby prior to the incident and witnesses reported that the sailboat steered in closer to get a better look. I posted the link earlier in the initial whale thread.

If this is true, they knowingly violated the 300 m law.

But I think they've been punished enough and have learned their lesson.

The punishment seems a bit severe. Unless you're a whaling ship, with a harpoon, whales can pretty much take care of themselves, even from someone trying to get a closer look.

Having sailed these waters frequently - sailing to avoid and sailing to get closer to is extremely difficult to gauge from the shore or similar further distances.... The damm things actually move fairly quickly when they want to and you dont know when they have altered course.

as I said in a previous post - some guys have an axe to grind.

The authorities will go thru the motions and the media will glean a story out of it no matter what.

kris