I don’t like whales. I mean … I love them, but I really don’t like them.\u00a0 I am trying to remember the last time I took a class, or non sailing friends to the area around the Golden Gate Bridge where someone didn’t express a hope that they would see whales on the trip, and every time I hear it, I hear myself saying, “please, no whales.”\u00a0 After one close encounter, and one “oh s***, what was that?” I much prefer whales at a distance rather than up close and personal.<\/p>\n
The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of whales seen east of the Golden Gate Bridge, which depending on how you look at it may be a blessing or a curse.\u00a0I love the fact that the health of the bay has improved to such a point that wildlife viewing events that were rare fifteen years ago are common place today.\u00a0 Sadly, anytime you mix wildlife with human activities, problems are bound to happen.\u00a0 Whales are an excellent example.\u00a0\u00a0Here are a few rules designed to help keep you and these magnificent animals safe.<\/p>\n
Something else to consider doing is advising the Coast Guard (specifically Vessel Traffic Services) that there are whales actively feeding inside the bay.\u00a0 Please do not notify the Coast Guard using VHF channel 16.\u00a0 It works, however, it will also get every dingbat in a 2 mile radius headed that way.\u00a0 My favorite example of this is the time someone made a whale report using channel 16.\u00a0 This lead a “good Samaritan” in a power boat to come to where the whales were feeding, and then proceed to spend the next hour following them around, chasing away every boater that got “too close,” and chastising everyone listening on 16 about how everyone needed to leave the whales alone. The irony of course is that he was the only one acting in a inappropriate manner.\u00a0 The Coast Guard eventually had to send a patrol boat to “escort” the good Samaritan away.\u00a0 Instead, call the report in on Channel 14, the channel used by the Vessel Traffic Services group within the Coast Guard to control large vessel and passenger vessel service on the bay.\u00a0 Be professional.\u00a0 Wait for a break in radio traffic and make the hail by saying “Vessel Traffic Services this is the sailing vessel …”\u00a0 When they respond, make the report, and provide as accurate a location as possible.\u00a0 Simply saying that there are whales in the bay doesn’t work, tell them where.<\/p>\n
In closing,\u00a0 no, the whales are not watching out for you.\u00a0 You need to watch out for them.\u00a0 You are not even a speck on their “radar”.\u00a0 They spend their entire life diving and surfacing, and never coming up under a boat, until 0300 hours a little north of Monterrey when the boat I was on was physically lifted into the air several feet, and rotated nearly 90 degrees, by what I suspect was a whale surfacing under me.\u00a0 No, I have no proof, I never saw or heard anything, however, nothing else makes sense.\u00a0 Give these magnificent and very large animals some space, and I promise, you will enjoy your encounters every bit as much as if you are right there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I don’t like whales. I mean … I love them, but I really don’t like them.\u00a0 I am trying to remember the last time I took a class, or non sailing friends to the area around the Golden Gate Bridge … Continue reading