Blue whales and Disney

[Snowwhyt]

I was wondering if Disney had a plan for whale safety? They do all the nature shows so thought they would care to use lower speeds I’m some areas for the whales with the ships? I always assume Disney does the best for the world as soon as they possibly find answers to a problem.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

I expect that DCL simply follows all local cruising rules, but nothing extra.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

On our last Alaska cruise (2018) en route to Ketchikan, there were Orca whales on the port side swimming with the Wonder. The ship was ever so slightly faster than the whales in that I could walk aft on deck 3 and watch them from one large porthole to the next.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I expect that DCL simply follows all local cruising rules, but nothing extra.

Well that’s what the article (that didn’t attach) talked about. The lack of rules for that problem. Looked like international waters and the tagged blue whale was chasing/approaching ships looking for food. I’ll see if I can find a attachment that will stick.

 

[sonnyjane]

Well that’s what the article (that didn’t attach) talked about. The lack of rules for that problem. Looked like international waters and the tagged blue whale was chasing/approaching ships looking for food. I’ll see if I can find a attachment that will stick.

Yikes. I’d love to read that article... the news almost never gets whale articles correct, and the idea of a blue whale chasing a boat looking for food is particularly amusing, as they feed on plankton.

Without financial incentive, it’s very difficult to get commercial shipping and cruise vessels to slow down. They hit whales farrrrrr more than anyone here would want to fathom. There’s no incentive to report that you’ve hit a whale, and sometimes they don’t even know they have until they pull into port with it draped across their bow... but the overwhelming majority of collisions with whales are never discovered, as the bodies usually sink.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Ugh, I only have found it on Facebook and Twitter. And Twitter has it in Spanish so that’s probably where it came from. I have a 56 second clip on my phone that’s fascinating to watch and no way to link it up here.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Yikes. I’d love to read that article... the news almost never gets whale articles correct, and the idea of a blue whale chasing a boat looking for food is particularly amusing, as they feed on plankton.

Without financial incentive, it’s very difficult to get commercial shipping and cruise vessels to slow down. They hit whales farrrrrr more than anyone here would want to fathom. There’s no incentive to report that you’ve hit a whale, and sometimes they don’t even know they have until they pull into port with it draped across their bow... but the overwhelming majority of collisions with whales are never discovered, as the bodies usually sink.

I could maybe hey you the Twitter information? See if you can decipher the maybe/Spanish? I put a photo of the clip I have saved in the first post. Maybe you can find a better link.

 

[sonnyjane]

I could maybe hey you the Twitter information? See if you can decipher the maybe/Spanish? I put a photo of the clip I have saved in the first post. Maybe you can find a better link.

Ahh yea the study came out a few days ago. It is about blue whales off Patagonia. Down there it’s almost 90% commercial fishing boats (not cruise ships.). And no, they definitely aren’t following boats, they’re just going about their business and being hit. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...aNtJ97reafY8oISQrWmRXupoJwQAk4M63W2zWT51FGiTg

To answer your question, it would be nice if the boats slowed down, but most ships, especially in international waters, are under no obligation to do so, and while in the US they could be fined for hitting whales, as I mentioned, strikes are almost never discovered or reported. They do typically slow down or change course if they see whales in their path... the problem is... you really don’t always see whales in your path, and often when you do, it’s too late to slow or adjust course.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Ahh yea the study came out a few days ago. It is about blue whales off Patagonia. Down there it’s almost 90% commercial fishing boats (not cruise ships.). And no, they definitely aren’t following boats, they’re just going about their business and being hit. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...aNtJ97reafY8oISQrWmRXupoJwQAk4M63W2zWT51FGiTg

To answer your question, it would be nice if the boats slowed down, but most ships, especially in international waters, are under no obligation to do so, and while in the US they could be fined for hitting whales, as I mentioned, strikes are almost never discovered or reported. They do typically slow down or change course if they see whales in their path... the problem is... you really don’t always see whales in your path, and often when you do, it’s too late to slow or adjust course.

It’s kind of you to clear this all up for me. It seemed like it was like a ping pong ball off the ships.
I can’t imagine one of DCL ships trying to miss a whale in its path. Worse yet, imagine how awful the captain must feel if he slows down and still hits the whale. It’s like trying to miss an animal in the road with no brakes. I’ve hit a skunk before, I had lots of regret, lots.