Surfski Knowledge Base

Nadja <expatgal@…>
08/25/08 #4822

~Our local waters of the Salish Sea are home to the only resident
Orca whale pods in the continental USA. Combined, these Orcas of J,
K & L pods currently estimated at 86 whales were listed on the
Endangered Species Act in 2005. They are 'culturally' unique from
all other Orcas in the world, as well as possessing their own
language dialect.
Their populations have been decimated by fisherman, who dubbed
them 'blackfish' and saw them as their primary competition for the
salmon catch, by the military who used them as target practice and by
Canadian & US Sea Aquariums, who recognized their ability to bring in
the almighty dollar. The last great capture/ slaughter for the marine
parks was at Coupville, on Whidbey island in 1976. Only one of these
whales still survives,“Lolita”, from L pod, in the Florida Sea
Aquarium. She is the longest living Orca to last in captivity. Her
mother and sister are still alive. (I saw them yesterday.) There
has been much effort to bring her back home to local waters, but a
major lack of funding…

~Humans are the number one threat to these gentle giants. Pollution,
from toxins entering the water, are the primary concern that could
effect their reproductive abilities and survival rates.

~Why should us paddlers care about these marine mammals? Would you
still launch your surfski, outrigger or kayak into the bay or
channels if you knew most of the sea life below you was dead?

~While knowing which new boat designs will perform the fastest and
what new gadget & gismos are going to provide the most accurate
technologically advanced rewards for your hard earned money, teaching
yourselves and most importantly your children about the other
intelligent life which share our waters should be an even higher
priority.

~I didn't intend to become a “whale hugger”. After living overseas
for the past 7 years, I witnessed some of the most obscene
environmental disrespect imaginable. (IE- While snorkeling in the
Philippines I heard dynamite being used nearby for fishing. While on
a ferry from Malaysia to Sumatra I witnessed Indonesian deckhands
tossing 6 hefty bags of styrofoam & plastic of our lunch containers
into the Strait of Malacca. While delivering a yacht from Malaysia
to Thailand I saw bottom net fishing techniques that literally made
the seas look as if they were bleeding…) Finally, last year, China
broke my soul & hence made me break my job contract half way through
and come running home, as I reached an unacceptable overload in
pollution tolerance.

~I attempted to return home and escape here into the comforting
natural surroundings that I had missed for so many years…only to
work as a deckhand on a few local whale-watching boats over the past
year and learn that some of our practices are no better than what's
happening on over there…

~Afeter meeting with the founders of the Orca Network yesterday, we
have been inspired to create a kayak race soon that will hopefully be
able to raise awareness and funds for this much needed local non
profit…