Fort Bragg blue whale likely killed by ship

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=SR&Dato=20091020&Kategori=PHOTONEWS&Lopenr=102009996&Ref=PH&show=galleries

Slide show. Look at the picture of all the blood pouring out. If this didn't attract the tax man then the blood in my scuppers isn't likely to.

That is one magnificent critter.  Blue isn't that common in nature, and maybe that's why it seems extra beautiful to me.

Kinda scary that one of the articles talked of how they don't pay much attention when they're feeding/surfacing...etc.  So much for my little fantasy that close whale encounters will be just like the scene in "Cast Away".   

I think it was hit by the NOAA research vessel working offshore here.  whups.  that's a little embarrassing.

Abking they are kinda scary.  I hope to never see one again from my kayak.  Last time I went out of Cambria I was by myself way out early in the morning.  I was facing the shore and there were military jets flying by all morning.  I heard this enormous bomb go off behind me.  My first thought was that they dropped one me.  Sounds stupid but I was trying to figure it out while turning around, and it sounded like something that couldn't be natural.  My heart was racing as I turned  and I was trying to think of what the noise could be.  I turned around to see two blue whales (I think) breaching.  Thankfully they were going away from me because I nearly crapped my pants for a second when I realized one could land on me.   It's unreal how big they are and how loud and hard they land.  I think someone else on this site posted a tale coming out of the water pretty close to their kayak while fishing Cambria too.

NOAA MLPA Research boat kills endangered female Blue Whale!!!

This was lifted from a spearboard post [ credited below].
The guys right. If this whale were killed by anyone else there would be hell to pay.
 The research vessel is not fessing up to it either.
This needs investigation and they need to be interrogated to force the truth or elicit perjury from them..
Lying to federal investigators is a crime and is that why they aren't being invstigated?
They need to be charged and fined big time. Forced to do community service and given probation.
 They need a restraining order to stay away from all cetaceans for at least 5 years , say 100 hail Marys as penance and donate to a group that loves and respects whales like the NCKA.
Steve
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http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article...NEWS/910219973
http://www.advocate-news.com/ci_1361...ce=most_viewed

I know this was already put up here, http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=94483

But I thought this title was more becoming of the situation.
Mind you this was a research vessel instead of a fishing vessel.
If a fishing vessel hit this beautiful whale there would have been a full investigation into any wrong doing or negligence, and fines would be issued.
NOAH actually is trying to say it doesn't even know if the whale they hit was the same one that washed ashore???

From an organization that is hell bent on closing off our oceans to protect our rare and diverse wild life, they cannot even avoid a 70' air breathing mammal???
So far I guess you can say based on true biomass, that MLPA’s kill off rare wildlife,
And be stating a FACT! 
__________________
Tino Bernazzani
Monterey Bay Tritons
President

Hah ... we posted similar things at the same time ... http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,21041.0.html

-Allen

great minds think alike!

Not to jack this thread too heavily...   

I've seen whales breach pretty close to the ramp at Shelter Cove (about 1/2 mile out) and right along the beach north of there at Black Sands - it was totally awesome of course.

When Domenic and I were fishing last Summer on an epic flat (and quiet) day out by the Whistle Buoy at the Cove Domenic brought my attention to an exploding sound coming from the distance to the south.  We watched and ended up seeing whales breaching and their huge splashes about 2 miles away!  The sound would get to us several seconds later.

Here's a vid of me and my Dad and our totally cool Gray Whale and calf encounter back in '04 I think:

Gonna be some fat @ss crabs there next year! 

Not to jack this thread too heavily...   
Here's a vid of me and my Dad and our totally cool Gray Whale and calf encounter back in '04 I think:#

OMG is that cool!!?!?  I just cant get enough of your reaction too!    Just AWESOME!!!