Whale encounter on camera

[beachcarolyn2]

check this out

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=663238

[Greg]

VERY VERY UNCOOL!!!
Personally I wish he'd been SEROUSLY injuried, I think he's a FRIGGEN JERK!!
I'd also like to say he's a lier, "didn't know it was there"- YA RIGHT!! I bet $1000 this butt-hole chased the thing down.

Leave the whales alone,
Greg Boyington

[windhorny]

I dont know man, I think it's kinda cool that someone got that close to one. it's not like he was out to hurt the whale. Not even a boat with a prop. And he probably didnt know it was there. how many of us look under the water when we ride? but who knows, in the long run, no animal was hurt in the making of that photo so i think it is a miraculous shot.

Yuri Reiter
CEO Metalmorphic

[Greg]

Whales and MANY other sea creatures SUFFER GREATLY from MANKIND.
Yesterday for example, a dead sea lion lay on the beach, it had no BITE marks, instead it had a blown apart SKULL! Now how do you think that happpened???? ANY IDEAS??

I'll tell you, "SPORT" Fishermen, with GUNS!!! Now I know someone is going to come back with a response like, "THEY eat the fish"- BLA-BLA-BLA- , someone else will probably come back with "You" killed many things...

Now I do BELIEVE in KILLING- killing for JUST CAUSE. Killing a KILLER for EXAMPLE I'd consider an HONOR!

I've quit hunting ANAMALS but I still believe I was BORN to hunt, NOW I HUNT UNJUSTICE! I'll try to do it with a pen, but when I'm confronted with EVIL it really messes with my head.

Some of you are going to think, "THAT's a LEAP", TRYING to "take" pictures of whales to "THAT"--

To me there is no disconnect, either you WORK for "GOOD" or you DONT. Messing with mother nature is BAD!

Gregory BURTON Boyington

[windhorny]

Yeah, i totally agree with cruelty to animals. i would much rather see a deserving human suffer their own karma but when seeing an animal that has no choice but to be some redneck's sport, it makes me want to do the same to that person. Like all of the fishermen that cut off the fins of the batrays at alameda and leave the carcass! MF's!

BUT, I truly, dont see harm in a kiter cruising over the surface of the water in any situation. we dont pollute, we dont make a lot of noise,we dont have a spinning prop, although some sharp fins. If anything i think kiters make the water a better place for marine life because we care for it probably more than most. Tianna must pick up a ton of garbage every year as well as pt. emery on her lunch breaks. how many fishermen can say they ever picked something up after themselves? ever seen the colliseum's parking lot after a raider's game? I will leave my personal pre-judice aside here but i truly believe alot of this is cultural. Ever seen that shop whale hunters? where are they all from? Some people just have no fin respect for anything, nonetheless their own food supply. We all suffer in the long run. but we can never give up.

To add to the main topic. if i ever saw a whale in the distance, i would instantly turn the other way. Probably out of fear more than respect though, but perhaps they are the same thing when faced with a 4 ton blubber fish.

[Slaxer]

Don't mean to stir up the discussion anymore... but here's a video of someone kiteboarding by a number of whales. http://www.camrig.com/videos.php?clip=whales2

The disclaimer below reads...

"Although I ended up riding pretty close to them, this encounter was unintentional. When the whales showed up in front of me, it was totally unexpected and I purposely went downwind to avoid them. The 4th whale that swims just below me was too submerged at that time for me to see it. I have posted this video because I find it spectacular, but it is not intended to encourage anyone to approach the marine mammals."

From watching the video, I believe him. And it is a pretty amazing shot.

[windhorny]

is april normally more active for whale watching?

[Slaxer]

"The southern migration starts in November and lasts until about February. The northern migration starts in February and lasts through April. This is the best time to see the whales, since mothers (cows) with calves tend to hug the coast - keeping their calves coast-side, presumably to protect them from killer whales (Orcas)."

http://www.best-california-beach.com/wh ... ornia.html

[Greg]

I believe I owe YOU ALL an APOLOGY!!

I was having a tough time (BAD head space) this morning, I OVER-REACTED (again)!

It was VERY unfair of me to lay into that guy, some stuff just sets me off. It was also unfair to you, the readers and posters...

We are fun junkies and I'm sure he was just trying to have fun....

Dont get me WRONG, I'm HIGHLY APOSED to this "content" as I believe it will ENCOURAGE repeat "offenders", I just think I went to far in showing my DISGUST!

Calling people names and so on... is WRONG!!
Please forgive me, I acted out and I'm SORRY!!
-----------------------------------------

Let me try that again:
PLEASE!! Be KIND (RESPECTFUL) to the ANIMALS, (birds, fish, frogs, etc...)
Greg-

[OliverG]

Well, it's frustrating in many ways as sometimes neutral or well-intentioned stories or footage give hints of larger problems. People are the biggest offenders of all natural laws by leaps and bounds. Many animals and species have been greatly impacted by people in more ways than we can possibly know, and it's very sad, so it's not unreasonable to say that, if a kiter is cruising close to whales for kicks, not cool. If they are reproducing, migrating, nursing, etc., it's just one more instance of a potential threat (perceived by them). I wouldn't go so far as to call Greenpeace on someone (they're kooks), but leave them be.

Kiting and being surprised by a whale is cool, whale chasing isn't.