Orca

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Coldsalt
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Orca

Post by Coldsalt »

Some of you may remember my Orca story a year back (this one is differn't) and some of you (who listen to NPR in the states) may have herd this before...
A little place called 'Shoals Point" on the southeast tip of Kruzof Island has a great little right point break. I had to Coasties and one of their friends; they had hired me to take them Surfing about 12.5 miles buy boat from town (Sitka). There is a great little Wave called louSEAL's on Low Island that we have to pass as we make are way to the point. As we pass by we can see the usual amount of marine life; whales, sealions, seaotters and a ton of seals (as the name louSEAL's lends it's self). Any way, Drop the hook in the kelp. jump off the boat that is right in the channel and paddle for the peak.
For two hours we had light offshore winds and for the third their was no wind at all. nice clean 6' faces and I had a new quad fin that really went (standing and kneelow). The middle of August - 59.4 degree water, warm sun and really good people... Man, you just close you're eyes breath deep, taste the salt on your lips and the smell of kelp and ocean. Feal the little sets run under you and the breeze blow the sun off you face, totally at peace!!!
After I ran through the five senses (as is common practice for surfing 'zen') I opened my eyes happy and calmly . I noticed a seal right near the shore. that seemed odd. Looked back out to see were the set was and looked back in to get a Bering. hmm, that seal is still their... I wonder what he is doing?
As i looked further down the point I can see a sealion pectoral fin. weird. Then there was white water behind the fin. As luck would have it the fin was about 120 yards down the point and not the fifty I had first thought, but it was no sealion.. Orca Orca Orca I yelled with three strokes behind me already. (on the Coast Guard helos you repeat emergencies three times for others around you to react- like"up,up,up" when you are hoisting to close to the mast of a sailboat)
The orca was closing a LOT of ground and fast. My buddies didn't believe me until they saw the big fish in question for them selves. I have never been so close to crying, shaking, shitting and ready to fight in all my life!!!!!
I was the first to wast deep water and looked back to see my buddys very close behind me. the freaky thing was that I couldn't see the big bull Orca anymore but that I COULD see the rest of his pod! They were right behind Steve (been in Alaska from San Fran, for less than 18hrs at this point).
The next surge and we were all on dry land. Not three feet out of the water, but DRY land. I think we were all playing the clips of seals getting taken off the beach in our head.
I ran over to the pelican case and got the digital cameras out and started hading them to their owners. "document this f*%kers!" in fast frantic motion. They didn't move.. Shock or just plain stupifded I don't know.
Now I 'm ready to start masturbating right there I'm so excited. I couldn't stop talking and moving. I going crazy trying to run on this lava stone shoreline and get in one of their photos. Nothing.
'well what now?...'
'lets see if they really leave'-
'ok'
They did and we spent the next hour giggling off our nervous energy (except Steve- he was really quiet). We checked out this old WWII army Bunker and walked back to our boards. I put the cameras back in my case and gave the water a really good look.
'the boats really not that far away guys'...
I jump in first and here two slashes soon following. weight about three seconds and turn to see Steve jumping of the end of the point. as I turned back to paddle straight I saw it out of the corner of my eye.. naw that would be to perfect... "hey guy's a bear"- Steve says "F@$koff, Im' in the water"
Shawn Looks back to smile at Steve...
and so does Matt...
Now buy the time Steve turned around the bear was standing about 100yrds from were we had just go in to the water.
This time Steve was the first one out of the water and still not say'n much.
ha ha

Food chains are fun at the store
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Coldsalt
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Post by Coldsalt »

I should point out that I've spoken with (four) marine boilogists and they sad that the pod was there to nail us when the bull (who we were supposed to see) run us off the point and into deeper water. a common flanking hunt im told. Would they have done any thing? in retospect.. who cairs? I was paddling for my life.
No. all bio guys said they didn't think any thing would have happend. they would have found out that you weren't retarded seals and boggied out.
but it was a really low pink salom year and this was a fishing pod... they ether didn't know/ mistaken Identity (very likely) or were really hungry( Lets forget about that option) 8)
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KAVA
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Post by KAVA »

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My buddies didn't believe me until they saw the big fish in question for them selves
I know we are all thinking it so I will just say it "Mammal" lol 8) white shark= fish, orca= mammal. but great story wish you had some pics of both the orca and the bear. was it a polar bear or a grizzly bear?
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Post by kidrock »

I don't know about the rest of youse guys, but I would rather take on the guys in the grey suits than an Orca, any day of the week.

Those critters are just WAY too smart :shock:

Orcas and Sea Lions and Bears...Oh My!!!
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Coldsalt
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Post by Coldsalt »

Yeah, I know "Mammal" :D It's kinda a misnomer that they get called a killer whale at all there actualy a porpus :P [/quote]
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Post by KAVA »

you should have waited in the water as they swam leisurely aside you. that would have been awesome to have shamu or free willy swimming with you in the lineup :D and if not then think how kewl it would be for us to see the headline "Kneeboarder killed by Orca" lol :twisted:
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Post by K-man »

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=diving+with+orcas

Have seen vids of divers in the PNW swimming with orcas.
Smart critters.very selective in their food preferences[We don't taste good....maybe :lol: ] Some are ''primarily''fish eaters.I believe that race is local,don't travel real far.
The other group are travelers[transient/nomatic]And travel north to south mostly eating meat,other mammals.
If I remember correctly the two distict groups ocassionaly cross paths,but don't intermingle.
A pod of orcas showed up at the farallones several years back,killed and ate a good sized whitey. :shock:
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Coldsalt
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Post by Coldsalt »

The thing about an Orca killing a Whity, they only eat the liver. kinda spooky that they know....
personaly Im with Kava. next time I'm grabbin a dorsal fin and gettin' towed in! :lol:
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Post by KenM »

One of K-man's buds has video taken with a pole mounted camera of the orca swimming by with the shark's liver hanging out of it's mouth. Their livers make up 25% of a sharks weight and is where they store their fat. YUM. After the attack ALL of the Great Whites in the area got the #@%$ out of Dodge and did not return till the following season.
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Post by Coldsalt »

/Users/kevingriffin/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2006/orca/jan and bull.JPG
This is local marine biologist Jan Straly and the bull that rushed us one day later. Jan is in her 22' aluminum skiff. The pod was around the area for three more days... no waves, no problems.
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Coldsalt
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Post by Coldsalt »

I'm having trouble posting photo's..
some times its so simple that even a super genus like my self can be to close to the proble to see it. :oops:
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KAVA
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Post by KAVA »

you are missing the host domain address. all the extensions look ok
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air… "
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Post by ScottMac »

..
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Post by frankfqr »

Late 70's, approx 12 miles north of Santa Cruz, waves were small that day. More grey whales then I'd ever seen, looking north and south and clean out to the horizon, spouts everywhere and tightly grouped. My wife and I pulled up and watched a pod of killer whales destroy a grey calf approx 75 yards off the beach, right at a spot where the peak would have been if there was swell. It was dropped jawed amazing. We watched for almost 1 hour till the "action" ceased and we went about our day. I saw them within surf zones at least twice after that, but the surf was always small. The Monterey Canyon is intense, I've heard you can fit 2 Grand Canyons in it. It obviously draws in some diverse BIGGIES :shock:
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Post by kidrock »

[quote="Coldsalt"]The thing about an Orca killing a Whity, they only eat the liver. kinda spooky that they know....

I guess that Orcas must be like the "Hannibal Lecters" of the sea...

"...liver with fava beans and a fine Chianti...thpthpthpthpthp." :lol:
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