Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Curval on April 24, 2006, 12:52:18 PM

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Curval on April 24, 2006, 12:52:18 PM

Just kidding.

These are some pictures taken by a friend of mine from a boat off the south shore of our wee island.

Bear in mind...this ain't seaworld...these are wild humback whales living in the open ocean.  Beautiful creatures:

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/257_1145900791_humpbacks1-4-0650_1.jpg)

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/257_1145900780_humpbacks1-4-0633_1.jpg)

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/257_1145900769_humpbacks1-4-0629_1.jpg)

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/257_1145900757_humpbacks1-4-0625_1.jpg)

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/257_1145900746_humpbacks1-4-0624_1.jpg)

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/257_1145900736_humpbacks1-4-0611_1.jpg)

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Nilsen on April 24, 2006, 12:58:48 PM

Nice pics Curval. Ive seen them live myself, and its awesome to see those big creatures move so gracefully.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Furball on April 24, 2006, 01:18:06 PM

"FDB's going for a swim at last years AH convention"

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Pooh21 on April 24, 2006, 01:37:16 PM

Quote

Originally posted by Furball
"FDB's going for a swim at last years AH convention"

adds a new meaning to humpback whales too.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: BlueJ1 on April 24, 2006, 01:57:33 PM

You shouldnt take pictures of people's wives like that.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Bronk on April 24, 2006, 02:01:59 PM

Quote

FDB's going for a swim at last years AH convention"

Quote

adds a new meaning to humpback whales too.

Brokeback whales??????????????



Bronk

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Bodhi on April 24, 2006, 02:02:40 PM

Did he catch them?

I hear they make AWESOME lamp oil!   :D

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Hangtime on April 24, 2006, 02:04:44 PM

LOL.. when my wife was 8 months along with my daughter we were vistited by a beluga whale.. more like a real big dolphin than a whale. Freindly beast.. swam right up to the boat and hung around. I eventually dove in and swam around with it.. and so did my wife. I have pictures somewhere.. the running joke in the family is 'can't tell the two of you apart in that shot'.. the standard reply is 'whales don't wear glasses'.

;)

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Vulcan on April 24, 2006, 05:25:15 PM

Enjoy em while you can, the way the Jap's are loading up the Int'l Whaling thingy with little countries in their pocket it looks like commercial whaling will be going full steam ahead soon :(

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: rabbidrabbit on April 24, 2006, 05:49:48 PM

I thought this thread was goingto be about Oprah.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Jackal1 on April 24, 2006, 08:17:21 PM

Quote

Originally posted by rabbidrabbit
I thought this thread was goingto be about Oprah.

2nd from the bottom.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Meatwad on April 24, 2006, 08:22:32 PM

Too bad they cant jump into a tub of hot oil.


MMM the blubber makes them all nice and chewy

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Curval on April 24, 2006, 08:31:17 PM

Here are some really cool videos:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3124333730109644845&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7863783054642449739&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3694492516921474633&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4483631959077500277&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Octavius on April 24, 2006, 09:20:11 PM

Those vids are awesome Curv.  Same/different encounter?

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Curval on April 25, 2006, 05:29:35 AM

I think this was a different one, I'm not sure but I'll find out.

These guys are just a bunch of friends who heard there were some whales close to shore, grabbed the cameras and headed for them.

Its amazing to see just how big the whales are underwater...I think the girls in the boat would have FREAKED if they were able to see what the guy with the underwater camera saw at the time.

One guy makes the comment "Wow...those fins are big"...they sure are!  The fin is as big as their boat.  The whales actually rubs its back on the bottom of the boat and it (the boat) barely moved.  It could have flipped that boat with ease...but obviously just wanted to check it out.

I would have loved to have been able to have the experience the guy in the water did though, but you can bet if it was me you would have heard me breathing a mile a minute when the whale got close.  I swam in the water with a dolphin once, and that was a bit scary.  Being in the waer with such a large wild creature is a trip!  But these aren't big...they are HUGE.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: eagl on April 25, 2006, 05:48:00 AM

It amazes me how benevolent most whales and dolphins are around humans.  They're the only critters on the planet that we're reasonably safe around during what would otherwise be considered a "feeding frenzy".  They are so clearly able to distinguish us from "prey" that I can't believe that there isn't some level of intelligence going on there, even in dolphins.

I've seen vids of kiler whales viciously attacking both prey and natural competitors, fish, seals, other whales, dolphins, but I don't think I've ever heard of a case where even a hungry killer whale in "hunt mode" will turn to hunting human swimmers or divers.  Yea there is an occasional incident, but those are so rare that it's clear that almost all whales and dolphins, unless hurt or protecting their young, do not consider humans prey, enemies, or threats.  They'll go after anything and everything else to get a meal, but it's really rare for a whale or dolphin (and yes I know that killer whales are more dolphin than whale) to go after a human.

Plus they often willingly accept human assistance when hurt or injured.  That's even more unusual in the animal world.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Reschke on April 25, 2006, 08:44:19 AM

I saw a video back in 2004 (I think thats right) of a "attack" by one in Seaworld but it didn't appear to be a true attempt to kill the trainer. It looked like more of a "this is my territory not yours" attack. There is also a video of an orca attack on an approximately 10 foot long great white floating around on the internet. It was pretty cool to watch that.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Jackal1 on April 25, 2006, 08:53:19 AM

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/22_1145973118_moby1.jpg)

"Die ye dammid whale."

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Vudak on April 25, 2006, 09:32:40 AM

I used to go whale watching off Cape Cod quite abit when I was younger.  They are truly magnificent creatures.  It must be even more impressive to see them from a small boat.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Mustaine on April 25, 2006, 09:36:28 AM

Call me ishmael.

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: AlGorithm on April 30, 2006, 02:16:26 PM

Quote

Curval previusly wrote;
Here are some really cool videos:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3124333730109644845&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7863783054642449739&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3694492516921474633&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4483631959077500277&q=bermuda+humpback&pl=true

Wow!

I never thought I'd see my mother-inlaw skinny dipping...

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Hangtime on April 30, 2006, 03:07:42 PM

Quote

Originally posted by AlGorithm
Wow!

I never thought I'd see my mother-inlaw skinny dipping...

LOL.. cheer up. Yer wife will look just like her pretty soon. :D

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: lasersailor184 on April 30, 2006, 03:58:35 PM

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/fringe/2006/Whale%20Tale.htm

Title: Man the Harpoons ;)
Post by: Sox62 on April 30, 2006, 10:12:28 PM

Great videos Curval.Thanks for sharing.:)

In their position I think I would have trimmed the outdrive all the way up to minimize the chance of a whale cutting itself on the prop.

Amazing how close the diver was to the whale in the last video.