Report from the Pacific Ocean, central California

[Hitch]

Took the skiff out whale watching this morning, and reporting that everything seems alive and well here. Lot's of life. There was a big pod of humpbacks together, maybe 12 of them. They would all raise their tails out of the water together when they would dive deep for the bait fish. A few times they came cruising by the boat, maybe within 50 feet or so, and they are huge. In a 12 foot boat, you feel very small and insignificant.

I had one solo whale, not part of the pod, who took interest in the boat. He hung out around me at the surface for awhile, and would dive down. But, when he surfaced, he'd surprise me. Surfaced out of nowhere, right next to the boat. Close, within maybe 15 feet. Too close, and it would be silent and peaceful, and all of a sudden a huge whooosh sound of him surfacing. Then the smell. It's loud and smelly that close. Interesting thing though, he always surfaced down wind so I wouldn't get any spray. Coincide, or are they smarter than we think?

Hundreds of juvenile sea lions out there as well, jumping out of the water, playing. Healthy and a joy to see. One time a group of them, maybe 50, came charging right at my boat. They surrounded the boat, barking at me, splashing, being playful young ones.

Anyway, that's a first hand report of what's going out here.

[woodman]

So what do you think about all these reports of dying sea life and effects from Fukushima? If one lends credence to Rense, you'd think the Pacific was dead and radioactive. Are you just in a particularly sheltered spot or are we being fed bs? It sounds like paradise where you are. Are you a fisherman Hitch? Do you eat your catch? I have stopped buying Pacific seafood.

[Hitch]

So what do you think about all these reports of dying sea life and effects from Fukushima? If one lends credence to Rense, you'd think the Pacific was dead and radioactive. Are you just in a particularly sheltered spot or are we being fed bs? It sounds like paradise where you are. Are you a fisherman Hitch? Do you eat your catch? I have stopped buying Pacific seafood.

These are tough questions for me to answer. I do believe, there's a lot of fear mongering going on regarding Fukushima. If, and I mean if in a percentage of truth regarding the amount of radiation in the Pacific, it's not going to make the sea dead within a few years. The Pacific is huge. I don't think any amount of radiation we can make, could kill it off within a few years.

I'm not saying there's no radiation. But, from what I can physically see here, where I live, it doesn't seem to have any affect.

I am a fisherman. I eat my catch from the ocean here. I feed my neighbors with extra as well. Personally, there's no way for me to know otherwise, other than what I can see and experience. If I ever catch a two headed fish, I'll post a picture of it.

[EE_]

A couple weeks ago...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXnCBPkp15A


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3leG2DhFXb4


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qMoYe00CrA

[Dogman]

Think most of the die off is starvation because of the weather cycle and the food the bait fish and such is just not there, the young seals suffer the most because mom can not find enough food, plus the population of seals have exploded over the last few years.

And not radiation, as you said Hitch..

Lot of just plain and simple fear mongering.

[Hitch]

A couple weeks ago..

While I was out there, there was a family in kayaks nearby. I didn't hear the question, from one of the kids, but I heard the father's reply. "Plan A, is to get out of the way". "Plan B, is to hit the water with our oars to make noise."

Now, I don't know if plan A or B would work. I do know, going out there really isn't safe to begin with. I don't think the whales would intentionally harm us, but they are wild animals, and anything can happen. We are in their world, out there.

[EE_]

While I was out there, there was a family in kayaks nearby. I didn't hear the question,, from one of the kids, but I heard the father's reply. "Plan A, is to get out of the way". "Plan B, is to hit the water with our oars to make noise."

Now, I don't know if plan A or B would work. I do know, going out there really isn't safe to begin with. I don't think the whales would intentionally harm us, but they are wild animals, and anything can happen. We are in their world, out there.

I'm sure you are as vigilant as you can be.

[Dogman]

While I was out there, there was a family in kayaks nearby. I didn't hear the question, from one of the kids, but I heard the father's reply. "Plan A, is to get out of the way". "Plan B, is to hit the water with our oars to make noise."

Now, I don't know if plan A or B would work. I do know, going out there really isn't safe to begin with. I don't think the whales would intentionally harm us, but they are wild animals, and anything can happen. We are in their world, out there. Plan C try not to be eaten by one of these big gulpers !

;D

[Hitch]

I'm sure you are as vigilant as you can be.

I'm as safe as I can be. :) I have all the gear, flares, horn, flotation, radio, compass, the list goes on.

It's still not safe though. I guess if you value safety you can miss out on some things in life, that are worth living.

[Cebu_4_2]

I'm as safe as I can be. :) I have all the gear, flares, horn, flotation, radio, compass, the list goes on.

It's still not safe though. I guess if you value safety you can miss out on some things in life, that are worth living.

Be you Pete!

[Ponce]

Here goes Ponce :) .......... when I was 12 my dad made me a kayak and one day I went wayyyyyyyyyyy out there when out of nowhere this 10 or 12 fins started to swim around me.... lucky for me that was before Jaws hahahahah.... anyway I was scare as hell, the kayak was only about seven feet long....after a while I realize that they were Dolphins because the way that they were swimming, up and down........ anyway, when I was almost at home, by the beach, this guy tells me "You want to take this meat on the hook about 100 feet down there?", sure I said and did it, went back and I asked him "What is that for?", and he says to me "There is a 16 foot shark that I want".......... never went out in the kayak again........ I am crazy but not stupid.

V

[Hitch]

Ponce, dolphins will do that. I know that feeling, that split second when you see a fin in the water before realizing it's a dolphin...I had one yesterday. I had just pulled up the crab trap, and looked and saw the fin near the boat. Large fin, and that split second passed...but, that fin was not a dolphin. Turns out, it was a large ocean sunfish. He was huge, maybe 5 feet long. The fin moved around almost slapping the surface of the water. Damn that fin looked like a shark. I motored up next to him. He didn't care that I was there. I wanted to yell at him for scaring the crap out of me.

[Hitch]

Had a rather intense experience out there today whale watching. A couple of young bull sea lions attacked the boat. As I was motoring out to the whales, pretty far out maybe a couple of miles, I came across the couple bulls in a major brawl. I killed the motor to watch the show. I tell you, I have major respect for these animals. They just didn't stop fighting. There was thrashing nonstop for maybe 10 minutes. I got tired just watching them.

I don't know if the fight came close to me, or I drifted on to them. But at about 25 feet away, they just charged the boat. I guess they were all riled up from fighting and saw the boat as a threat. Next thing I know they are going nuts around the boat. Lots of barking and aggressive splashing from them, and yelling from me. They got more and more aggressive and finally one lunged out of the water and almost got my arm. I had to fight them off with a boat oar. Smacked one pretty good actually. They all of sudden disappeared, and I fired up the motor and got the heck out of there. They could have sank the boat.

[mick silver]

that's what happen when you pour nuke water into the sea

[Horn]

Cool water appears to be returning up there, the blob is receeding and being burned off by the overhyped el nino.

Overall the pacific has seen a great deal of turbulance over the past couple years.

Whales were probably trying to party and Hitch crashed it.

[singular_me]

I think too fukushima fear is overrated... I know a woman who goes every year to hawaai for about 3 months during winter time, spends countless of hours swimming daily and she still is very healthy.

but thanks for sharing your oceanic journeys

[govcheetos]

I'm as safe as I can be. :) I have all the gear, flares, horn, flotation, radio, compass, the list goes on.

It's still not safe though. I guess if you value safety you can miss out on some things in life, that are worth living.

Agree, none of that crap will save you when a whale or any other form of mother nature decides to land on you. Most people are pretty delusional.

What type of skiff are you running?