November 17, 2011 Baleen

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The figures around whale watching are staggering. As well as the money involved, around 13 million people (a couple of million more than the entire population of Greece) from 119 countries go whale watching each year. Although it started in the 1950s it has only been the last decade in which whale watching has really developed, and has outpaced other varieties of global tourism considerably.

But . . .

This article questions whether or not whale watching is good for the whales. It sounds like the whales are feeling harrassed. Boats get too close, visit the same pods over and over, they linger too long, and some skippers actually run into the whales!

All of this stresses out the whales. Their respiration increases, their blood pressure goes up, they stop eating, don't nurse their babies well and the pods suffer.

It is amazing to think that such huge creatures are so sensitive to the actions of much smaller mammals (humans). We have machines and technology and that gives us the advantage.

The article asks if we are handling it well.

Lots of great pictures at Ark in Space.[/SIZE]

Image Credit Flickr User lymang

Well, just think how humans react to a mouse, or a spider or a bed bug.

It is amazing to think that such huge creatures are so sensitive to the actions of much smaller mammals (humans). We have machines and technology and that gives us the advantage.

HungLikeJesus;773612 wrote:

Well, just think how humans react to a mouse, or a spider or a bed bug.

Right.

Or a wasp or a bee. My late sister in law drove her car off the road and into the guardrail because a bee was in the car. She didn't die from the crash though. I doubt she was thinking about eating or nursing and her vitals definitely spiked into the emergency range.

HungLikeJesus;773612 wrote:

Well, just think how humans react to a mouse, or a spider or a bed bug.

Especially if they had been harpooning us for a few hundred years. That'd get my BP up.

and another thing, What ever happened to the Jefferson Airplane?

HungLikeJesus wrote:

Or a wasp or a bee.

footfootfoot wrote:

Especially if they had been harpooning us for a few hundred years. That'd get my BP up.

Those fuckers have been harpooning us. But in their defense, they haven't been stealing our fat and turning it into perfume and tiny bee lipsticks.

Whale watching is insurance against the resumption of commercial whaling.

Suck it up, tubby, it's for the good of your species. Better to be gawked at than harpooned.

There are pretty tight restrictions in Australia on tour boats who are specifically targeting whale watching or any kind of eco tour boats for that matter.

I remember the last time we went deep sea fishing (which wasn't really all that deep, but that's what it's called) just outside Moreton Bay, it was whale watching season, and there were whales everywhere. At one stage we were drifting and fishing, and a large whale came up beside the boat. And I mean right beside the boat. We could almost touch it. It was amazing. We also got to watch some whales leaping into the air and all those sorts of things that most people only dream about seeing. It was one of those life experiences that will never leave me. We were very lucky that day. We caught heaps of fish too.

footfootfoot;773619 wrote:

and another thing, What ever happened to the Jefferson Airplane?

C'mon people. Bueller? Anyone?

It's a dolphin...

footfootfoot;773619 wrote:

and another thing, What ever happened to the Jefferson Airplane?

and I'm in love with you again.


sigh.

I just can't stay mad at you footy.

Whales.. The first two weeks of this month we had a whale infestation. Everyone I ran into asked, "Have you seen the whales yet?" You could go down to the lighthouse and watch them all day.

This happened last week a few blocks from where I live. A camera crew was doing an advertizing clip showing how tech company employees can benefit from living in our town. (we're on the outskirts of Silicon Valley) So they were filming a guy kayaking when behemoth showed up for his mug shot.



Here a link to the story:
Close whale call

I'll bet that kayak was brown on the inside by the time he got back to shore.

Baleen, Baleen, Baleen, Baleen
Im begging of you please don't eat my man
Baleen, Baleen, Baleen, Baleen
Please don't eat him just because you can

May Baleen why can't you be true?
You done started doin' the things you used to do.

99 Luftbaleens
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Hielt man für Ufos aus dem All
Darum schickte ein General
'ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher
Alarm zu geben, wenn es so wär
Dabei war'n da am Horizont
Nur 99 Luftbaleens

Baleen sounds like a traditional Irish name.
Although it would probably be spelled as Bhalishngt.

Bhalishngt

.

That looks more like scottish to me.

I was traveling in Alaska once and stopped in a gift shop to look for some souvenirs. I saw a little black woven basket. It looked like it was made with very heavy plastic line, the size of line you'd find in a heavy duty string trimmer. It was pretty, and a nice small size, about as big as a grapefruit with a little domed lid. I picked it up and saw on the tag on the bottom that was made from whale baleen by Alaskan Natives. I also saw they wanted $3,500 dollars for it. I gingerly replaced it in the case and moved over to the postcard, shot glass and snow globe section.

footfootfoot;773619 wrote:

and another thing, What ever happened to the Jefferson Airplane?

Funny, when I saw that title I was thinking of Marty too.

Aliantha;774043 wrote:

That looks more like scottish to me.

It's all Gaelic to me...

footfootfoot;773619 wrote:

and another thing, What ever happened to the Jefferson Airplane?

They got old.

footfootfoot;773619 wrote:

and another thing, What ever happened to the Jefferson Airplane?

Pete Zicato;776245 wrote:

They got old.

They became Starship, and then got old.

"We Built This City" has got to be one of the worst songs ever. Starship is but a mere shadow of Jefferson Starship, which itself is a mere shadow of Jefferson Airplane.

Rich got the joke.

agreed @ we built this city

Grace is still a good looking woman, but the before and after juxtaposition just isn't fair.

glatt;776654 wrote:

"We Built This City" has got to be one of the worst songs ever.

footfootfoot;776660 wrote:

agreed @ we built this city

That's because youse guys don't get it, didn't get the message. Grace was trying to warn you hippies living in a post Vietnam alter reality, that the 1% were stealing your government and your future. :borg:

infinite monkey;773849 wrote:

Baleen, Baleen, Baleen, Baleen
Im begging of you please don't eat my man
Baleen, Baleen, Baleen, Baleen
Please don't eat him just because you can

SPUCK;776853 wrote:

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]Baleen,baleen,baleen,baleen
Im begging of you please don't take my man
Baleen,baleen,baleen,baleen
Please don't take him just because you can
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming farts of plankton air
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like the death of spring
Your voice is odd like bellowed pain
And I cannot compete with you,baleen

He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name,baleen

And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me,baleen

Baleen,baleen,baleen,baleen
Im begging of you please don't take my man
Baleen,baleen,baleen,baleen
Please don't take him just because you can
[/COLOR]

What a great idea! ;)

footfootfoot;776660 wrote:

Rich got the joke.

Balin/baleen. We got the joke. We were just extending it.

BTW, this thread prompted me to go back and listen to Plastic Fantastic Lover (A Balin tune about his new TV, if you believe the liner notes). One of JA's best songs and visionary as well.

That is still a great song

infinite monkey;776945 wrote:

What a great idea! ;)

Crap! I didn't catch yours..:neutral:

I like yours better.

SPUCK;777049 wrote:

Crap! I didn't catch yours..:neutral:

I like yours better.

No, we collaborate.

Wanna help me write a sitcom? :)

infinite monkey;777057 wrote:

No, we collaborate.

Wanna help me write a sitcom? :)

You're taking on too much.

you're supposed to be working on a Hooters for Chicks restaurant, IIRC.

:eyebrow:

Get back to work, young lady.

:crone:

I have so many irons in the fire, as you know.

Like this weekend. OMG. First I have to sleep late tomorrow. Then I have to turn the TV on, maybe boot up the computer. I have to go get my hair cut. I have to return a library book.

There's hardly ever enough time for world domination.

Can I be the silent partner? The creative consultant? The rider of the coattails?

Because I can't find my gumption. :lol: