RE: [Paddlewise] Being Run Down by Wildlife

John Clinton said on 22 July 2009 10:56

> dolphin.... so I suspect if they ever hit you they meant to.

We paddle frequently with dolphins (and we do feel very privileged) and they
are common enough along our coast that commercial outfits take tourists out
with no-see = no-pay guarantees ;-)

Most boating people are pretty good about marine mammal etiquette and
keeping a minimum distance with a maximum number of boats to avoid stress,
but there will always be a few cowboys.

Last year, a woman on a smallish outboard boat (not a commercial one) was
seriously hurt when a large male dolphin leapt onboard and crushed her. (She
has recovered - as did the dolphin.)

There was great journalistic uproar and effort, but nobody could trace a
previous (local) example of a dolphin 'getting it wrong' or of one behaving
in a deliberately aggressive manor. So the jury is still out on what caused
the event:
- male protection of threatened family
- bad behaviour on the part of the dolphin
- bad behaviour on the part of the boat skipper
- plain accident by the dolphin
- toxic algae triggered 'intoxication'

In the final analysis, it is perhaps a minor cause of wonder that dolphins
are so damn good at what they do. 
  
Best Regards
Paul Hayward, Auckland, New Zealand

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net
[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] On Behalf Of John Clinton
Sent: Wednesday, 22 July 2009 10:56
To: Mike Euritt
Cc: Paddlewise Paddlewise
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Being Run Down by Wildlife

likely you would have been fine regardless.   I had a couple hundred dolphin
heading right at a few of us (they turned from another course to check us
out).  They looked like a stampede of horses except splashing rather than a
dust cloud.   Many in close quarters passed within feet on either side of us
but not one hit any boat.   I wondered if they might hit us due to being
blocked by their fellow dolphin.   Anyway they seem to have very good sense
of their size, etc. along with echo location and eyes so I suspect if they
ever hit you they meant to.

On Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Mike Euritt <mike.euritt_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> Last fall I was paddling in Trinidad Bay, coast of N California, as part
of
> the paddle fest tours. We weren't really out in open water, hadn't even
> past
> the land mark I think they called mile rock when one of the other shouted
> "look at that!" Off near shore was splashing, I could see the white foam
> from the activity but not the cause. Someone with good distance vision
said
> they were Risso's Dolphins. I made note of it and kept paddling since I
> couldn't see anything.
> I went off by myself, past the rock and out to one of the channel markers,
> turned and headed back in to rejoin the now very splintered group. Then I
> saw them, six of the creature heading straight at me. I was awestruck,
man,
> this is better than Marine World. Then I realized they were having a great
> time, leaping out of the water, back in leap, and bearing down on me. I
> wondered if they were able to see me, I thought probably not and imagined
> what it would be like if one of them actually jumped over the kayak. Then
I
> realized I had a pretty good chance of being hit as they did.
>
> I took the paddle and slapped the water, making a point to hit the boat
> with
> the shaft and made as much noise as possible. They changed their course
and
> missed me, but they were close enough to see the whites of their eyes.
> Eventually my heart returned to normal.
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