Study Shows Female Puget Sound Killer Whales Cease Feeding When Vessels Within 400 Yards

[Derby]

Subject: New NOAA Study Shows Female Puget Sound Killer Whales Cease Feeding When Vessels Within 400 Yards - Columbia Basin Bulletin




https://www.cbbulletin.com/new-noaa...-cease-feeding-when-vessels-within-400-yards/

 

[Bryan Allen]

Wonder how the Whale Watchers are going to square this ?

 

[wildmanyeah]

"The limited dive capacity of female whales and the more pronounced effects of vessels combine into a kind of “double whammy” for the females, Holt said. Vessel traffic may also disrupt prey sharing that can help sustain lactating females with calves that have greater energetic requirements."

Very interesting statement, as i believe some science has also show that the increased in seal population is driving bait and salmon deeper. That would be a pretty negative effect on female resident killer whales then.

 

[ericl]

Wonder how the Whale Watchers are going to square this ?

They have a "campaign" going on the PBS channel in Seattle.

 

[searun]

They have a "campaign" going on the PBS channel in Seattle.

Ha ha...I'm going out on a limb here predicting the response will be something like we need WW getting within 200m to act as "sentinals" to warn off all the unwashed vessel operators....that, in spite of the science. Nothing wrong with WW, just that we are clearly based on this science loving them (whales) to death by getting too close. Perhaps time to stand back from orcas, and focus on closer in interactions with other species that are perhaps less impacted by close proximity.

Also of note in some research is there is a difference between orca whom approach vessels as opposed to situations where the vessel is doing the approaching. Common sense would suggest to me at least, that when whales approach a group of boats they have a high level of situational awareness and control over risks, whereas when vessels approach they need time to sort out the situational awareness of nearby risks of things like collisions with vessels. To manage that situation they stop feeding until they can sort it out. These whales are quite accustomed to the presence of vessel traffic and likely way more aware of how they can manage those risks than we give them credit, Thus the difference when being approached as opposed to doing the approaching.

 

[ericl]

Common sense would suggest to me at least, that when whales approach a group of boats they have a high level of situational awareness and control over risks

That is true - saw a pod off Whidbey Island years back while running at 25 mph to a fishing spot - gave them half a mile berth. Suddenly my 14 foot boat started moving oddly,& a 6 foot wide tail 6 inches off the bow flipped 10 gallons of water in my face; it swam stern-to-bow right under the boat at 25 mph.