Re: [Paddlewise] whales and kayaks

I wish I had the time & clear concise way to respond to the bulk of
the discussion here.  As it is, I don't.  That said - I'll just fake
it.

First - I'm glad this is being discussed.  I have found the material
presented (especially the urls from Jackie and the post from M. Broze)
to be very useful.  As someone who is new to kayak touring I'm curious 
about the potential impact I will have on the places & wildlife I
travel to & meet. 

I find it fascinating that we have touched (no pun intended) upon
topics as diverse as anthropomorphism, sapience and habituation.

At its core I think we're talking about direct interaction (good
touch/bad touch).  At least no one has openly advocated 'chasing'
whales.  In the realm of touch we find issues of consent.  How can you
have consent with a creature that does not speak?  Even with an
"implied" consent is the interaction positive/negative (in the long
run)?  This of course dove tails (or is that orca tails?) with
anthropomorphism, sapience and the dillema of habituation.

The most useful information I've found so far is the Whale Watch
Guidelines for the San Juan Islands.
http://www.whalemuseum.com/whalewatch/SWguidelines.pdf 

Of notable interest is the exceptions on page 3 for Commercial
Photographers and Research Vessels.

Maybe Melissa's boat could get classified as a 'Research Vessel'? 8) 

Mayhaps I'll have more to say on sapience and habituation, but I
certainly hope the list will give me more to think about 8)


Glen Acord - Eugene, OR
WKCC, OKCC, OOPS
Mariner II, Neckie Rip


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