View Full Version : Killer Whales
This morning at 11.25am i received a report of Killer Whales seen by the John O'Groats Ferry "East of Swona heading South towards Caithness."
This evening i was sat at Sarclet fingers crossed they might come my way.
Just before 9pm my phoned bleeped for txt.
"Killer Whales at John O'Groats now timed at 7.45pm" again seen by the crewe of the John O' Groats Ferry.
I cursed the poor phone reception at Sarclet and had a quick look off the coast at Wick but light was failing and i saw nothing.
I suspect they may be somewhere off the East Coast tomorrow 20th so keep alert and you may get lucky.
Many Thanks to Gordon for passing on the information.
Latest sightings around Caithness see
http://www.caithness-mmm.org/news.php
Colin
Do you know how fast they travel so I can try and work out where they will be next?:D
buggyracer
20-Jun-07, 09:19
if its the same gordon he told me they were there last night also, just off the harbour at JOG,s, might take a look down tonight.
Do you know how fast they travel so I can try and work out where they will be next?:D
Top speed about 34mph, But last time i tracked a pod they averaged about 7mph.
Colin
I sat on a cliff top and watch a pod in the furthest north point of Westray one night, it was around mid summer and you got a really clear look, it was amazing i think i counted 15 or so. They were leaping in and out of the waves.
anneoctober
20-Jun-07, 23:34
Orgers, PLEASE can we call these gorgeous mammals ORCAs ? I just don't like to think of them as "Killer whales".......:~(
the orcas were called killers of whales years ago when some portugese fishermen watched a pod feasting on another whale ..
was told this by a marine expert when we were watching k pod of the coast of vancouver island .....
Hibeechick
21-Jun-07, 12:31
the orcas were called killers of whales years ago when some portugese fishermen watched a pod feasting on another whale ..
was told this by a marine expert when we were watching k pod of the coast of vancouver island .....
Working in their pods they get between the mother whale and her calf and kill the calf.
Always call them Orca's myself and make a point of calling them that. Absoloutely love these creatures. Seeing them in the wild is such an experience. Alsmost i'd say - better than swimming with dolphins!
pulteney person
21-Jun-07, 19:39
I saw the Killer Whales very close to the Trinkie on Monday night. I was down at the rocks and had a good view. The sun was very strong which made it slightly more difficult to spot how many were there but I saw 2 females clearly. It was lovely watching the spray shooting up into the air from their blowholes when they came up for air.
They must have been hunting because there were lots of birds, namely terns and herring gulls around a small area just off the Trinkie. The birds seemed to be feeding well. A short time later all the activity moved to the left of the Trinkie, near to the entrance to Wick bay. I watched the whales for about half and hour before they moved further out.
I have seen Killer Whales near to the Trinkie oftern during the past 8 years. I have seen up to 9 whales at one time. I have also seen Dolphins and Porpoises near to the Trinkie so it seems a good place to get clear views of cetaceans. :D
Monday evening - 18th June at 7pm they were at the Trinkie.
Thanks for that info.
One of natures most wonderful sights they are too.
Seabird and myself are trying to get all cetacean sightings put together on the following site.
http://caithness-mmm.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewforum.php?12
All sightings would be very welcome. Caithness has fantastic opportunities to see cetaceans and most of them probably go unrecorded, so if anyone sees anything we would very much appreciate it being recorded or brought to our attention.
If you do not wish to register, then PM seabird or myself and we will post them for you.
Many Thanks
A green with envy Kas.
Nice photos of them on the front page too.
orkneylass
21-Jun-07, 22:41
Orgers, PLEASE can we call these gorgeous mammals ORCAs ? I just don't like to think of them as "Killer whales".......:~(
I would love to see these creatures as I love cetaceans of all kinds, but getting PC about the title "Killer whale"??? Have you seen the footage of them hunting seals in patagonia or harrassing the mothers and calves of a largeer species until they can attack and kill the calf? They are not that cuddly you know!
It does not make me any less fascinated.
anneoctober
21-Jun-07, 23:35
Promise I was n't being PC Orkneylass :( Yes, I've seen the footage you talk about and I agree that whales, dolphins etc can be nasty wee tykes - but then I've also seen footage of Orcas being strung up and disembowled, seal pups clubbed to death :~(. Those men don't look cuddly either when they're killing , and it's not for survival (food on the table) that seal pups are clubbed to death.
Metalattakk
22-Jun-07, 00:42
I don't get your point, anneoctober.
They are named "Killer Whales" for a reason. Why would it not be prudent to call them by this name? By insisting on calling them "Orcas" you are basically perpetuating a myth for yourself of some semi-conscious creature from some wildly fantastic film. I doubt that they even know they are alive.
But, quite what this has to do with seal-clubbing, I struggle to comprehend.
I'd like to see some photographss of these Killer Whales though, if anyone has been lucky enough to take some.
I don't get your point, anneoctober.
They are named "Killer Whales" for a reason. Why would it not be prudent to call them by this name? By insisting on calling them "Orcas" you are basically perpetuating a myth for yourself of some semi-conscious creature from some wildly fantastic film. I doubt that they even know they are alive.
But, quite what this has to do with seal-clubbing, I struggle to comprehend.
I'd like to see some photographss of these Killer Whales though, if anyone has been lucky enough to take some.
If I remember rightly, the term 'Killer Whale' was originally a misinterpretation of the old IPNA word for them.
As for photos, I have a really nice set that I took a few years ago off the north coast of Vancouver Island. I will be happy to post the set up (or at least the best of them) if someone can suggest a suitable medium to do so. At present they are in the form of a slide show.
Might want to add any sightings here on the Sea Watch site, this next week is whale and dolphin watch week and they are asking for sightings to be reported.
http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/events.php
The Orcas mentioned at the top of the page were indeed one of the groups that passed through last Year.
This was one of the photographs posted on the front page
http://www.caithness.org/fpb/2007/june/gallery.php?gallery=19&image=1
notice the nick in its dorsal fin. Well the same Orca was photographed by Keith Parkes last year.
There were also Orca phototgraphs 6-8 weeks (approx) in the local paper, taken between Helmsdale and Berrridale. A photo profile of one of their dorsals, matched that of an animal photographed by David Glass in 2005.
percy toboggan
24-Jun-07, 11:52
I saw some off the island of Eigg in 1983. Stunning.
Are they not called 'killers' because they hunt and eat Seals? I'm sure I have seen them tossing seals in the air as if for fun, but this was probably just a precursor to a snack. A spade is a spade in life and in nature I reckon.It's just what they do - red in tooth and claw.....and flipper I guess. Wasn't 'Orca' also the name of the boat in 'Jaws?'
SandTiger
25-Jun-07, 10:52
They could well enjoy playing with their food or just be teaching their young how to hunt and survive ;)
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