Humpback whales

[Satrekker]

I saw a humpback whale and calf during a late August trip to Cocos Island. We saw them from our rib about 100' away, but couldn't really see much or get photos by the time we got in the water. :-( Still, it was a very cool experience. My first time to see a whale in nature.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

It is a dream of mine to dive/swim with humpbacks but given the impact and that humpbacks have enough stress, I have placed their welfare over my desires until scientists confirm that certain practices have negligible impact.

I do expect to be in the minority.

I am feeling exactly as you stated. I’d love to swim with them, but at this stage in my life, while I could afford it, the whale’s health and welfare are much more important. There are enough films to watch to see them underwater.

SeaRat

 

[Cali_diver]

@wetb4igetinthewater in Tonga they at least limit the amount of swimmers per whale. 4 only on 1 whale, but in Moorea every boat would drop their swimmers on one whale. It was insane when I was there last October. They would drop everyone soo far away so you would have 20+ half drowned snorkelers being towed by some poor guy with long fins crowding in one long line with every kind of floaty attached to their body. There was at least 10 boats at one whale when I was there on my last day. I would never go back and do it like that again and we were on a private boat. I felt so bad for the whales and even worse for the poor guides trying to keep everyone together and alive.

 

[clownfishsydney]

We see lots of them from now till about late September off Sydney and in fact, the majority of the Australian East Coast, but only from the boat or shore. We also hear them most dives over this period. I have never seen one underwater nor has any of my friends. I did dive with a southern right whale at her calf back in June 1993 and get some photos. See Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@wetb4igetinthewater in Tonga they at least limit the amount of swimmers per whale. 4 only on 1 whale, but in Moorea every boat would drop their swimmers on one whale. It was insane when I was there last October. They would drop everyone soo far away so you would have 20+ half drowned snorkelers being towed by some poor guy with long fins crowding in one long line with every kind of floaty attached to their body. There was at least 10 boats at one whale when I was there on my last day. I would never go back and do it like that again and we were on a private boat. I felt so bad for the whales and even worse for the poor guides trying to keep everyone together and alive.

They may limit, but it still impacts the animals. It all depends on what you prioritize: the heallth of the animals or your own indulgences.

 

[passeparici]

@wetb4igetinthewater in Tonga they at least limit the amount of swimmers per whale. 4 only on 1 whale, but in Moorea every boat would drop their swimmers on one whale. It was insane when I was there last October. They would drop everyone soo far away so you would have 20+ half drowned snorkelers being towed by some poor guy with long fins crowding in one long line with every kind of floaty attached to their body. There was at least 10 boats at one whale when I was there on my last day. I would never go back and do it like that again and we were on a private boat. I felt so bad for the whales and even worse for the poor guides trying to keep everyone together and alive.

When I was in Moorea, yes they left us quite fare away (it is one of the rules to protect the whales) but they certainly not towed us to the whales !! In November, I would say there was 5 boats (around 7 people per boat) where I was but there were also maybe 6 or 7 whales with their calves so it allowed all those people to be pretty scattered...

 

[passeparici]

They may limit, but it still impacts the animals. It all depends on what you prioritize: the heallth of the animals or your own indulgences.

If you think that for the whales, why don't you think the same thing for the other species and stop scuba diving altogether ?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If you think that for the whales, why don't you think the same thing for the other species and stop scuba diving altogether ?

The whale population was decimated by whaling in the 1800s which has an impact on the global environment. They need all the help they can get, or should I say, as little negative impact as possible. If you can cite how other species change their behavior in negative ways due to human interraction (like whales and their young diving deeper, putting more stress on the young), I'll be happy to avoid those animals as well. Please provide a peer reviewed scientific study however.

 

[passeparici]

I can't provide a peer reviewed scientific study that the whales are not that stressed by human but I don't see any one (peer reviewed also) saying the whales are stressed and I don't really believe they dive deeper for those tiny animals, us, on the surface. The calves are not stressed that's for sure. They are very curious and come to see the divers (and their mothers don't interfere on that) and are quite eager to play. I think quite a lot of wild species realize we are not a threat anymore and don't mind us a lot. As I said before, those whales have seen us since they were calves and saw we don't do anything to them. We are part of their environment as birds are for us. That doesn't mean we should do anything and not try to respect other animals...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I can't provide a peer reviewed scientific study that the whales are not that stressed by human but I don't see any one (peer reviewed also) saying the whales are stressed and I don't really believe they dive deeper for those tiny animals, us, on the surface. The calves are not stressed that's for sure. They are very curious and come to see the divers (and their mothers don't interfere on that) and are quite eager to play. I think quite a lot of wild species realize we are not a threat anymore and don't mind us a lot. As I said before, those whales have seen us since they were calves and saw we don't do anything to them. We are part of their environment as birds are for us. That doesn't mean we should do anything and not try to respect other animals...

Non, non, et non.

Please see the study that I cited in post #16. I made it easy by quoting the conclusion. I trust scientists studying impact over your biased view.