Eurodam accused of overrunning pod of whales

[jakkojakko]

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2019/06/articles/cruelty-murder-of-animals/hals-eurodam-ignores-calls-to-reduce-speed-while-approaching-whales/

 

Article with video of eurodam apparently comming very close to a pod of feeding whales, being warned of it in advance and not slowing or steering away.

 

Anyone currently on her that can comment?

Edited June 25, 2019 by jakkojakko

[Belgian fry]

This is a total disgrace if it's true. I hope measures will be taken!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Very sad to hear and read this.

 

Thank you are the link to the article and the videos.  You definitely can see the whales in the second video.

[chengkp75]

First off, can we determine where the person reporting this was in relation to the ship and the whales?  The legal limit, as even Walker states, is only 100 yards from the whales, and judging distances at sea can be difficult, especially if you are low down to the water, as in a small boat, or far away compared to the two objects observed, let alone taking into consideration angular orientation of viewer to vessel and whale courses.  I can't run the video, but remember that 100 yards is one third of a ship length away.  I also believe that the NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) has adopted a rule where it is illegal to approach humpback whales at speeds in excess of 14 knots anywhere within 200 miles of the US coast.  So, without data from the ship's bridge, or other accurate data from another source at the site, Eurodam may well have been within it's rights to sail where she did.  Also, depending on where this was, and it was reported only as "on its way to Juneau", can anyone say that there was safe areas to navigate further away from the whales.  Definitely one sided story, as most of Walker's are, but perhaps the video shows more.

 

Love the "fact" Walker puts out that whales have been "impaled" on the bulbous bows of ships.  They may have been draped over the bow, and held there by water pressure while the ship sails, but they are by no means "impaled".

[jakkojakko]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

First off, can we determine where the person reporting this was in relation to the ship and the whales?  The legal limit, as even Walker states, is only 100 yards from the whales, and judging distances at sea can be difficult, especially if you are low down to the water, as in a small boat, or far away compared to the two objects observed, let alone taking into consideration angular orientation of viewer to vessel and whale courses.  I can't run the video, but remember that 100 yards is one third of a ship length away.  I also believe that the NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) has adopted a rule where it is illegal to approach humpback whales at speeds in excess of 14 knots anywhere within 200 miles of the US coast.  So, without data from the ship's bridge, or other accurate data from another source at the site, Eurodam may well have been within it's rights to sail where she did.  Also, depending on where this was, and it was reported only as "on its way to Juneau", can anyone say that there was safe areas to navigate further away from the whales.  Definitely one sided story, as most of Walker's are, but perhaps the video shows more.

 

Love the "fact" Walker puts out that whales have been "impaled" on the bulbous bows of ships.  They may have been draped over the bow, and held there by water pressure while the ship sails, but they are by no means "impaled".

 

Agree with all.

The video is from the bridge of a pilotboat type, taken perendicular to the course of Eurodam and from a distance. So it is difficult to determine the offset of Eurodam and or wether she alters course. I will try to get some stills from the video.

[jakkojakko]

Mmmmm, it seems the video has been taken offline. I think HAL is taking measures.

I watched it a couple of hours ago and the maker is very upset in the video when it unfolds. 

 

[sue1898]

Here's HAL response to this video on their Facebook page:

Holland America Line On June 24 at 6:40 a.m., Eurodam was en route to Juneau and slowing to pick up a pilot when the bridge watch observed a pod of humpback whales bubble feeding clear of the port bow near Kingsmill Point. A nearby vessel also alerted the bridge to the pod. Following proper protocols, the captain altered course by 10 degrees to create more distance between the ship and whales, allowing them to safely pass. No announcements were made as it was early in the morning.

Holland America Line ships sail while following a comprehensive Whale Strike Avoidance program developed in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Parks Service. Ships have clear guidelines on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required.

[DeeniEncinitas]

I’m sad to see the video!!

Denise😒

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, sue1898 said:

Here's HAL response to this video on their Facebook page:

Holland America Line On June 24 at 6:40 a.m., Eurodam was en route to Juneau and slowing to pick up a pilot when the bridge watch observed a pod of humpback whales bubble feeding clear of the port bow near Kingsmill Point. A nearby vessel also alerted the bridge to the pod. Following proper protocols, the captain altered course by 10 degrees to create more distance between the ship and whales, allowing them to safely pass. No announcements were made as it was early in the morning.

Holland America Line ships sail while following a comprehensive Whale Strike Avoidance program developed in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Parks Service. Ships have clear guidelines on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required.

Ding, ding, ding.  We have a winner.  As the ship was nearing the pilot station, if there had been a violation or too close encounter, the pilot would have made a report.

[Sir PMP]

Sounds like fake news to me..

[chengkp75]

3 hours ago, jakkojakko said:

 

Agree with all.

The video is from the bridge of a pilotboat type, taken perendicular to the course of Eurodam and from a distance. So it is difficult to determine the offset of Eurodam and or wether she alters course. I will try to get some stills from the video.

From a distance, and perpendicular to the ship's course, very difficult to determine that the ship made a 10* course change, and also to estimate distance between an object low in the water and one that is as high as a cruise ship.

[IRL_Joanie]

7 hours ago, jakkojakko said:

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2019/06/articles/cruelty-murder-of-animals/hals-eurodam-ignores-calls-to-reduce-speed-while-approaching-whales/

 

Article with video of eurodam apparently comming very close to a pod of feeding whales, being warned of it in advance and not slowing or steering away.

 

Anyone currently on her that can comment?

 

I'd like to point out that the complaint is by a Lawyer known to pursue law suits against the Cruise Industry. I'm not sure of the slang term for Lawyers who chase ship. But "Ambulance Chasers" sounds just as good whether Ship or Car is involved.

 

Joanie

[jakkojakko]

4 minutes ago, IRL_Joanie said:

 

I'd like to point out that the complaint is by a Lawyer known to pursue law suits against the Cruise Industry. I'm not sure of the slang term for Lawyers who chase ship. But "Ambulance Chasers" sounds just as good whether Ship or Car is involved.

 

Joanie

 

Actually that lawyer is just reporting it. Someone else made the complaint. 

[jakkojakko]

3 hours ago, sue1898 said:

Here's HAL response to this video on their Facebook page:

Holland America Line On June 24 at 6:40 a.m., Eurodam was en route to Juneau and slowing to pick up a pilot when the bridge watch observed a pod of humpback whales bubble feeding clear of the port bow near Kingsmill Point. A nearby vessel also alerted the bridge to the pod. Following proper protocols, the captain altered course by 10 degrees to create more distance between the ship and whales, allowing them to safely pass. No announcements were made as it was early in the morning.

Holland America Line ships sail while following a comprehensive Whale Strike Avoidance program developed in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Parks Service. Ships have clear guidelines on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required.

 

Someone is really busy controlling anything about this. HAL's facebook video complaint and official response has now been removed allready.

[sue1898]

33 minutes ago, jakkojakko said:

 

Someone is really busy controlling anything about this. HAL's facebook video complaint and official response has now been removed allready.

It's still there, you just have to go to "Community" since it's not a post from HAL but rather from someone that has "liked" the page. Since it's still there with their response, I suspect they are firm in their believe that they had no wrongdoing.

[jakkojakko]

9 minutes ago, sue1898 said:

It's still there, you just have to go to "Community" since it's not a post from HAL but rather from someone that has "liked" the page. Since it's still there with their response, I suspect they are firm in their believe that they had no wrongdoing.

Thank you.

Given what I know and experienced on HAL I have no doubt that they altered course.

[Shmoo here]

54 minutes ago, jakkojakko said:

 

Actually that lawyer is just reporting it. Someone else made the complaint. 

"Someone else" is somewhat suspect in their view of things, also.  The article was reported by "Cruelty and Murder of Animals".

 

And the lawyer in question is quick to pick up on any bad press about cruise ships, regardless of source.

 

 

[awhcruiser]

6 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Sounds like fake news to me..

Agreed!

[TAD2005]

This is a media knee-jerk reaction to the protest incident in Kiel Germany of another HAL ship.   The press loves to "pile on" to make headlines, so for the present, it's open season on HAL ships.   If some passenger throws a plastic straw overboard, it will he headlines around the world. .

[old mike]

57 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

This is a media knee-jerk reaction to the protest incident in Kiel Germany of another HAL ship.   The press loves to "pile on" to make headlines, so for the present, it's open season on HAL ships.   If some passenger throws a plastic straw overboard, it will he headlines around the world.

So very true, once in the spotlight for whatever reason it's hard to escape. The environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, W.W.F the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Defense Fund have become big business and they depend on irrational fear and manipulation to keep their rent seeking activities alive,the dumb journalists in the MSM are their useful idiots. 

[kennicott]

11 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Love the "fact" Walker puts out that whales have been "impaled" on the bulbous bows of ships.  They may have been draped over the bow, and held there by water pressure while the ship sails, but they are by no means "impaled".

Walker wasn't the only one who used the term "impaled"------------

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-10/cruise-ship-grand-princess-impales-whale-near-alaska/8792526

[InTheWASide]

5 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

"Someone else" is somewhat suspect in their view of things, also.  The article was reported by "Cruelty and Murder of Animals".

 

And the lawyer in question is quick to pick up on any bad press about cruise ships, regardless of source.

 

 

Absolutely agree

Edited June 25, 2019 by InTheWASide

[Crew News]

On the video, I noticed hardly any wake so ship must have been traveling very slow when the video was made. 

[kennicott]

59 minutes ago, Crew News said:

On the video, I noticed hardly any wake so ship must have been traveling very slow when the video was made. 

Strange---I see a wake. A pretty good one at that.  Having been in a number of boat harbors for dozens of years, driving boats under no wake rules, that has got to be a tad fast---- not very slow. And also, having been on many cruises where we were moving at 2 or 3 knots, there wasn't any wake to speak of.  My guess is they were doing over 10 knots. Princess policy limit is, for the Icy Strait area about 70 miles to the north, their ships not to exceed 11.5 miles (10 knots) per hour when in the strait south of the national park, due potential whale activity.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by kennicott

[asebastian]

Speaking of whales impaled and draped over the bulbous bow of the ship, here's some light relief from a couple of photos I took during the Jan South America/Antarctica cruise on the Zaandam - taken in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Enjoy!