Film Company Fined For Illegal Drone Use Near Killer Whales

The last whale hunting in the pacific northwest was in 1957 if I remember correctly based out of Coal Harbour in Quatsino Sound near the N.W, corner of Vancouver Island. The pendulum has now swung far to the other side it seems. There are folks who still maintain that hunting whales is reasonable–is it?

Has anybody asked the whales if they feel harassed by drones or are people just making up stupid rules to feel self-validated about the work they do? I bet the researchers who made the rule never even did any research to see if the whales care at all about drones.

Whales are curious. Many moons ago we took friends out to Hansen island in Johnstone Strait across from Robson Bight. 4 Orcas surfaced about 75 feet from our boat and “spyhopped” several times as we were awed and waved to them. I am sure they were more than aware of our presence and that we were a different species but social and curious as well. They shouldn’t be locked up in prisons, (Seaworld etc.) but left to travel as they need to. The resident northern eat “Spring salmon” (Kings to other folks) and are good neighbours showing off their offsring to us when we go whalewatching. Go figure.

“There are folks who still maintain that hunting whales is reasonable–is it?”

In short, NO! Historically, several countries were heavily involved in whaling, causing whale populations to plummet. In the mid-1800s, the U.S. led the way, focusing on sperm whales. Norway took over in the early 1900s with new technology, and Japan ramped up its efforts after WWII, even continuing after a 1986 ban. The Soviet Union secretly hunted tens of thousands of whales from the 1950s to 1970s, and Iceland resumed whaling in the 1980s despite global opposition. These actions eventually led to worldwide efforts to regulate and reduce whaling.

IT’s still a bit of an uphill battle as different groups think it’s reasonable for historic reasons as well as gastronomic. I concur and hope it ends soon. These are very intelligent mammals (our group) with societies, structure and communication. My neighbour Bill Terbrugge invented the orcaphone which is an underwater microphone that the whale researchers use today and have put together a library of chirps, clicks, squeals and songs. Some folks think this may be a progenitor to primitive language. If we’re lucky we may find out one day. I think the whales mostly are curious about us being around in small boats and don’t mind interacting as long as there is no obvious threat to them or their families.

300 feet. aka 100 yard and it is a federal law.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/insight/viewing-marine-life#:~:text=Remain%20at%20least%20100%20yards,in%20Hawaiian%20and%20Alaskan%20waters.

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