Pilot Whales or Killer Whales

[Sweetwater]

Some poor gent in Provincetown drowned when Pilot Whales overturned his canoe. Not makin' this up.

Canoeist may have drowned after capsizing | CapeCodOnline.com

[Sea Flat]

Wow! Horrible thing to happen, but unfortunately canoes and salt water/open ocean don't really mix well IMO. Can understand that on a calm day that they thought they were safe. Unbelievable.

[FishermanTim]

Maybe it's the skeptic in me, but I find this just a little coincidental that they "encountered" a pod of whales the day after the news reports whales being spotted in the waters of Cape Cod.

If there were no witnesses to this event besides the survivor, who's to say that they weren't out "looking for whales" aka "harassing wildlife".

Unless there are confirmed cases of whales/dolphins actually making contact with watercraft (not whale-watching ships), I would have to believe that these creatures would most likely go the other way when approached by a boat.

This has the feel of a sad "red-neck" joke that begins "I have an idea...." or "Why don't we...."

The loss of life is sad no matter what the circumstances.

[niko]

"Unless there are confirmed cases of whales/dolphins actually making contact with watercraft (not whale-watching ships), I would have to believe that these creatures would most likely go the other way when approached by a boat."

pilots are curious critters, i've had them come right up to my boat to check us out.

[striperman36]

the water is a bit cold still, I think that may have been a factor

[WoodyCT]

A couple warm days and these dumb arses head out in their kayaks and canoes for some pleasure boating without a thought about how fast that ice water could kill them.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[fishonnelsons]

Nice day, sun out, calm harbor waters, couple of local guys "borrowed" the canoe from a beachfront property, no life jackets, etc etc, authorities still investigating other possible factors relating to incident.

[MAKAI]

Farewell and Adieu ye fine Spanish ladies . . . . .

[The Iceman 6]

RIP

[FishermanTim]

The guy they interviewed on the news, that worked for the company that sent the boat out before the CG arrived made the same comment I did: The whales/porpoises wouldn't "attack" a watercraft.

Now if it were a mother and calf, there might be some truth to that, but then it would also entail the "harassment of wildlife" claim that these guys were approaching the whales, not the whales approaching them.

[BasicPatrick]

IF you go into the ocean in a canoe you ahve to be prepared to get flipped or at least wet just by accident. The stories here on the Cape are stating the one guy that did not survive had no shirt on when plucked form the water. The whales might have had somehting to do with turning the canoe over but where were the lifejackets in the canoe to hold onto once they went into the water...where were the clothes that might have given them a bit of insulation and helped him make it just a bit longer...there is more to this story...heart attack, alcohol...something sure seems fishy.

[Saltheart]

Its a sad lose. yes , people do stupid things every day but its still sad when someone gets caught in the act and pays for it so dearly.

People who spend a lot of time on the water know the dangers and its actually the ones who know the most ,who might survive without the safety precautions ,who prepare the best and wear the preservers in cold water and in obviously dangerous watercraft. Many a time I've been on the water where I put on a life preserver and had "landlubbers" laugh at me and say things like "I thought you were a big seaman!". its exactly this ignorance that gets people in trouble.

As to the question , I have seen a gazillion pilot whales out there but not orcas. its hard to say if the seal explosion has changed things but absent that , its very likely it was pilot whales and it just seems so likely they were trying to get close to them. Who knows though.

Who here can say they have never done anything dumb while on the water?

Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

[JohnnyD]

Aren't you legally suppose to have a PFD on at all times in that type of craft before May 15?

As Cape Cod natives, it'd difficult to believe that they didn't know this was a bad idea.

[FishermanTim]

From the F&G abstracts:

"From September 15 to May 15 all canoe or kayak occupants MUST WEAR a U.S. Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device."

I guess common sense didn't play into their canoe equation.


I wear my life jacket (water skier vest) EVERY time I use my kayak.
Why? Because even during the heat of the summer, if I were to hit my head on something while falling out of the kayak, or if I were to suffer some medical condition beyong my control, I can still stay afloat.
I will always side in favor of caution when out on the water.

[PRBuzz]

At a minimum, the PFD makes for easy body recovery by rescuers after suffering from hypothermia.

[FishermanTim]

A PFD in cold water is like a motorcycle helmet when the rider wipes out while at high speed: It won't neccesarliy save you in the extreme circumstances, but will make identifying the body a lot easier.

You rely on the device to do the job it was intended to do: keep you afloat, face up.
What ends up happening is that people presume that a PFD will do MUCH more than what it is supposed to do.
How often do you hear about people succumbing to hypothermia, and the survivors always tend to say the same thing: "But he was wearing a life jacket...." as though they magically create an insulation layer just because the person had it on.

[Saltheart]

Just a comment , a water skiers life jacket will not nescessarily keep you floatinmg face up. It will keep you floating but its not really designed to turn you over to get you facing up. A type 1 is supposed to turn you over face up. A type 2 may or may not (probably not) but its very unlikely a type 3 like the waterskiers use will turn you over. The big issue of course is mobility. the type 3 allows you to do the sport and will at least bring you to the surface. The best for sfaety , the type 1 is pretty bulky and awkward but it will keep you on top and will very likely turn you face up repeatedly even ofter you pass out.

OK, carry one!

[PRBuzz]

Another example not wearing the right gear (or any):
4/24/2010
NANTUCKET — A fisherman who fell overboard from a clam dredge has died, despite a rescue attempt by a fellow crewman.

The Coast Guard said the man, whom they did not identify, wasn’t wearing a life jacket or survival suit when he fell into the 55 degree water at about 5 a.m. Saturday.

They said another crewman put on a survival suit and jumped in to try to save the victim.

But the men began drifting away from the 60-foot boat, which couldn’t reach them because it was disabled after a hose got tangled in a propeller.

A Coast Guard helicopter pulled the two men from the ocean, and brought them to a Nantucket hospital, but only the would-be rescuer survived.