Pete Thomas Outdoors

Dominica's 'Whale Whisperer' shares remarkable story

Andrew Armour, who runs Kubuli Watersports on the Caribbean island of Dominica, has been called the "Whale Whisperer" because of his ability to communicate with sperm whales, particularly a young male named "Scar."

"Once I'm in the water I try to reach them acoustically by making this noise in the water, and it's the same noise all the time so they know it's me," he says. "So I'm talking to them all the time in the water, and they start coming."

To be sure, had Herman Melville been to Dominica and swum with its whales, he might have had trouble finding the inspiration to write the classic novel, "Moby Dick."

Perhaps 200 of the fabled cetaceans utilize the surrealistically blue realm beyond the island. None has expressed ferocity toward humans or bitten the leg from a tyrannical (and fictional) captain.

On the contrary, as people such as Armour have learned, these great leviathans, once hunted mercilessly around the world, are docile and at times even seem friendly toward people.

"The whales come to us, make friends with us, and interact with us," says Peter G. Allinson, a Baltimore doctor who has made several trips to Dominica, which is between the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.

"The best encounter is when the whales are socializing among themselves and they'll come over and play with us," Allinson adds. "A couple of them will rub up against you and try to get you to rub them, and some of them roll over on their backs and let you rub their bellies. It's quite interesting."

Allinson's images have appeared in National Geographic magazine and won photo contests. He does not distribute his photos but, as a supporter of the Save the Whales organization, the doctor allowed their use for this story hoping it'll raise awareness that all whales "are very intelligent and very friendly animals, and they should not be hunted."

Images captured recently by professional photographers also have surfaced, on various websites, and suddenly the whales of Dominica are no longer a secret.

"The secret is now coming out," Armour says. "And it's coming out in a sense that this is the best place to see sperm whales, this close to North America."

This is disconcerting to scientists, however. They say a budding and largely unregulated "swim-with" program might be harmful to the whales. "These interactions alter the normal daily behavior pattern of not only the animal which is interacted with but also all of its family members as a result," says Shane Gero, a researcher from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Armour, who closely works with researchers but also runs a whale-watching business, acknowledges that regulations are needed but adds: "My strategy with them has always been to let them want to be with me. The thing is to not let youngsters get too far away from the family group. In this way we have noticed a minimal change in the behavior of the group as a unit."

Kelly Slater claims top spot in ASP World Tour rankings

ASP World Tour rookie Jadson Andre surfed masterfully in his home country of Brazil, defeating nine-time world champ Kelly Slater in the final of the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina.

But Slater might be the bigger story as his runner-up finish vaults him to the top spot in the rankings as he aspires to round off his magnificent career with a 10th title.

Andre, however, was understandably beside himself after he his narrow triumph (14.40 to 14.00) in two- to four-foot surf at Praia da Vila. It moves the Brazilian from 13th to fourth in the rankings and he's now reasonably assured of making the roster cut from 45 to 32 surfers after the fifth of 10 tour stops. (This was the season's third contest.)

"This is my dream," Andre said. "This is everything I have worked for in my life. To be on the beach and hear that I was the winner, something special came over me. I don't know how to put into words. It's a miracle. I have had some bad things happen in my life, but this is amazing. I am so thankful to everyone for this."

Said Slater: "It definitely puts me in a good spot this season heading into Jeffreys (Bay) and Tahiti. I think it's been almost two years since I've led the rankings and yeah, it feels good. Obviously, you want to win every heat, but that said, I didn't lose to a Mick (Fanning) or a Joel (Parkinson) or a Jordy (Smith), who are probably bigger threats in terms of the title. Jadson winning here today is special and it's probably something that he'll remember for the rest of his life."

Slater, 38, defeated Smith in a quarterfinal and Owen Wright in the semifinal to make the final. Andre, 20, becomes the first rookie to win a World Tour event since Santa Barbara's Bobby Martinez in 2006.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Kelly Slater courtesy of © ASP/ Kirstin Scholtz

Hawaii passes bill to ban sale, possession of shark fins

Hawaii's state Legislature has passed a bill that will make Hawaii the only state in the U.S. to ban the sale and possession of shark fins.

Senate Bill 2169 passed late Tuesday and must be signed into law by Gov. Linda Lingle, but proponents do not expect a veto and are celebrating triumph in the name of shark conservation.

SB 2169, sponsored by Democratic state senator Clayton Hee, aims to end the import to Hawaii of shark fins, which are prized as a main soup ingredient in mostly affluent Asian communities around the world.

A single fin can fetch more than $1,000 and a bowl of shark-fin soup in some of Hawaii's Chinese restaurants sells for as much as $45.

Under the bill's provisions, Hawaii restaurants will have until July 2011 to stop serving shark-fin soup. Thereafter, people in violation of the ban will face fines to $15,000 for a first offense; $35,000 for a second offense, and $50,000 plus a year in jail for a third offense.

Scientists estimate that between 40-70 million sharks are killed annually for their fins. Shark-finning, which entails removing fins at sea and dumping sharks overboard (to make room for more fins), has been increasingly assailed by environmental and animal-rights groups.

Shark-finning is illegal in Hawaii waters but the extent of finning globally, and the sale of fins around the world, including in the United States, has some scientists concerned about the long-term survival of many shark species.

While efforts to achieve an international shark-finning ban have failed, it's hoped that regional efforts, such as that underway in Hawaii, will gain momentum throughout the U.S. and the world.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo courtesy of Terry Maas/SeaWatch

Sailor Jessica Watson comments on Abby Sunderland

While Abby Sunderland is heading toward Cape Town, South Africa, to make repairs on her sailboat, Jessica Watson is battling 30-foot seas and waiting for a nasty weather system to pass beneath Tasmania before she continues on toward her home port of Sydney, Australia.

Sunderland, out of necessity, is abandoning her quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone, nonstop and unassisted. The 16-year-old from Thousand Oaks, Calif., will, however, will continue and make this a mission simply to become the youngest person to sail around the world.

Watson, who is also 16 but five months older than Sunderland,commented about Abby on her blog and it was gracious and amusing, as are most of Watson's comments. Here it is:

"I was sorry to hear about Abby having to pull in to Cape Town for repairs. But like Abby said so well in her blog the other day, in one way it's great that we're now aiming for slightly different records, so that we don't have to be competing with each other. I'm also totally jealous that she's probably going to beat me to a hot shower!"

Watson is expected to complete her trip, which began last October aboard a 34-foot pink sailboat, in mid- to late May. Sunderland, whose official start was early February, still has to cross the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

-- Pete Thomas

 Photo of Jessica Watson courtesy of Jessica Watson

South Korean's historic climbing feat tarnished by controversy

South Korea's Oh Eun-sun on Tuesday reached the summit of Mount Annapurna in the Himalayas, becoming the first woman to set foot atop the world's 14 peaks standing 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) or higher.

However, in what seems to have turned into mountaineering's version of a cat fight, a Spanish woman who is one peak shy of this same accomplishment is being criticized for casting untimely doubt on her opponent's claim.

As Oh and her team advanced toward the summit of the 26,545-foot summit of Annapurna, Edurne Pasaban was quoted in the Spanish press as saying a Sherpa guide had stated that Oh did not actually set foot atop the Himalaya's Mount Kangchenjunga last year.

The timing of this negative press has led to a posting Tuesday on the Everest News website, accusing Pasaban for harboring "sour grapes."

Oh's feat is being recognized by the Nepal Mountaineering Assn., however, so those grapes are at least partially squashed.

Oh was not aware of this renewed criticism as she was aspiring toward the 26,545-foot summit of Annapurna, which she reached on all-fours as TV cameras rolled. The the debate has mostly involved her support team and Pasaban.

Oh last year told reporters she had, in fact, made the 28,169-foot top of Kangchenjunga: "It was bad weather. Three sherpas told me that I reached the top, and one of them took the picture," she said.

On Annapurna this week, one of the climber's Korean crew members told an ExplorersWeb correspondent: "We are very disappointed when we heard that Miss Pasaban mentioned Miss Oh's summit on Kangchenjunga. We think her words are very unfair. If she felt Miss Oh's summit was doubtful, she should have expressed her opinions at the time when everyone discussed it."

Pasaban, who still must climb the 26,335-foot Mount Shishapangma to complete her endeavor, is quoted by ExplorersWeb as saying she did not intend to stir such an ugly debate.

"I am confused. Had I known this so-called race was going to be such a mess, I would have thought twice before getting involved" she said. "I am not in this to get rich or famous--I just love climbing, it's my life, so I thought it was logical to complete the project."

-- Photo showing Oh Eun-sun (front) courtesy of Black Yak

Former shark-hater now a voice for conservation

Shark-fin soup might be the most talked about Asian dish these days as shark-finning, or slicing fins from live sharks and dumping their bodies overboard, remains widely practiced despite increasing concern among environmental groups and scientists, who fear this type of high-level fishing is threatening the existence of certain shark species and causing vast damage to marine ecosystems.

Though there have been national and regional efforts to curtail shark-finning, which kills tens of millions of sharks annually to satisfy demand for soup, international efforts to ban the method have failed.

But awareness seems to be increasing and perhaps future generations will bring about more positive change. As evidence, the following insightful perspective comes in the form of a letter-to-the-editor written by a high-school junior who had, until recently, believed the only good shark was a dead shark. It was published Saturday in the North Carolina's Jacksonville Daily News and here it is:

To the editor:

All my life, I have feared and hated sharks. Ironically, I live on a small island off the coast of North Carolina; there is no escaping this phobia. I often see sharks killed gratuitously by coastal fishermen and left to die on the beach. Until recently, this sight did not bother me; I considered every dead shark as a plus as it increased my odds of survival as a swimmer. And when I saw shark's fin soup on Chinese menus, I never questioned it.

However, my perspective suddenly changed after reading about the U.N. Wildlife Trade meeting in Qatar, where China, Japan, Russia, Libya, and Morocco voted against limits on the practice of shark finning. I learned that the killing of sharks strictly for a pound of flesh -- fin flesh -- for soup is common around the globe. I realized that my local teenage view was shifting to a more global perspective. Here is the dilemma: How can we set reasonable limits without violating powerful cultural traditions in these countries?

Abby Sunderland shows maturity by heading for land

Abby Sunderland made headlines over the weekend after announcing on her blog that she was diverting to Cape Town, South Africa, for repairs and would not be sailing nonstop and unassisted around the world, as she had planned.

Some news reports implied her journey was over. People might also have been led to believe, by some reports, that the 16-year-old adventurer from Thousand Oaks, Calif., was succumbing to the long, lonely time spent at sea.

None of this is true. The reality is that Sunderland, who enjoys being alone and has held up remarkably well under trying circumstances, merely chose the only realistic option.

She has to make landfall to repair a faulty autopilot system because to attempt a southern Indian Ocean crossing without her equipment being 100% operational, at a time of year when that region is becoming increasingly cold and stormy, would be careless and perhaps suicidal.

Charlie Nobles, executive director of the American Sailing Assn., said that organization "shares Abby’s disappointment about the equipment problems that prevented her from becoming the youngest sailor to sail non-stop, unassisted around the world. We applaud her, however, for having the courage and maturity to know when to seek assistance."

In fact, all the high-school junior is sacrificing are the "nonstop" and "unassisted" aspects of her journey.

That means Australia's Jessica Watson, who is also 16 but five months older than Sunderland, figures to claim the distinction of being the youngest person to have sailed around the world alone, nonstop and unassisted. (Watson, who left Sydney last October, is expected to finish by late May but is currently in very rough seas.)

Yellowtail bite like the good old days for San Diego anglers

Southern California anglers venturing out of San Diego ports on Sunday enjoyed one of the most prolific yellowtail bites in recent memory, and area captains are predicting a remarkable spring and summer season for the prized game fish.

The three-quarter-day vessel San Diego returned to Seaforth Sportfishing with 208 yellowtail for 53 weary anglers. That kind of score seems from a bygone era.

Other Sunday totals were nearly as impressive: 79 yellowtail for 22 anglers aboard the Voyager (Seaforth); 47 yellowtail for 14 anglers aboard the Dominator (Seaforth), and 91 yellowtail for 31 anglers aboard the Malahini (H & M Landing).

The yellowtail are biting to the southwest--at the Rockpile and Coronado Islands--and averaging 10-20 pounds, but a 34-pound yellowtail was the jackpot fish aboard the Sea Adventure II on Sunday.

Philip Friedman of 976-TUNA reports that the fish did not become active until about 9:30 a.m.--anglers  at the fishing grounds Monday were just starting to hookup at about 10 a.m.--and that iron lures and sardines were the top catchers. He advises to use flourocarbon leaders while fishing with bait.

Capt. Buzz Brizendine of the Prowler was testing a skiff off La Jolla Sunday and saw birds over a frenzied school of yellowtail and told Friedman: "Luckily I had my jog stick and caught two nice ones."

A yacht captain traveling down the Baja California coast reported seeing yellowtail bunched beneath floating kelp paddies from Guerrero Negro to Ensenada, and that bodes very well as these fish are expected to migrate to the north, toward San Diego.

A few captains have also registered bands of 62-degree blue water offshore, which is prime for albacore and bluefin, so there could be an early start to the offshore tuna season.

Essentially, the winter doldrums are over in the San Diego area and it's probably only a matter of time before yellowtail and white seabass begin to feed at Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands. Expect a vast improvement there soon after this mid-week weather system passes.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Randomly selected yellowtail image plucked from the Internet

Teen sailor Abby Sunderland bound for Cape Town

Abby Sunderland, one of two 16-year-old girls on different quests to sail around the world alone, nonstop and unassisted, has announced she will head to Cape Town, South Africa, to repair a faulty autopilot system.

The high-school junior from Thousand Oaks, Calif., stressed on her blog that she will continue her journey after making repairs and seek to become simply the youngest person to solo-circumnavigate the planet in a sailboat.

Jessica Watson, Sunderland's Australian counterpart, is expected to complete her nonstop circumnavigation attempt in late May. Watson is enduring severe weather aboard her 34-foot pink sailboat as she travels beneath Australia en route to her finish point at Sydney Harbor. Watson, who is five months older than Sunderland, left Sydney last October.

Sunderland, who departed from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in early February aboard a 40-foot vessel, has been experiencing trouble with her autopilot systems for the past several weeks, including during her passage around treacherous Cape Horn at South America's tip.

Autopilots are supposed to hold a sailor's course but Sunderland's primary and backup units have been faulty. At one point recently, in rough seas and freezing temperatures, the intrepid mariner had to hand-steer from the stern deck for 24 consecutive hours.

She stated on her blog that it'd be "foolish and irresponsible" to  transition from the South Atlantic to a long and potentially rollicking Indian Ocean stretch without fully operational equipment.

"I gave it my best shot and made it almost halfway around the world," she said. "I will definitely keep going, and whether or not I will make any more stops after this I don't know."

Laurence Sunderland, Abby's father, said in an interview that his daughter has "matured considerably as a sailor and a person" while working tirelessly to keep her boat, Wild Eyes, on course in the monotonously gray, topsy-turvy and bitter-cold region east of Cape Horn.

Laurence Sunderland will fly to Cape Town and help Abby with repairs when she arrives in 10-12 days.

The father added that Abby's older brother Zac made 13 stops "and still became a hero" during a solo-circumnavigation he completed, at 17, last July.

Zac briefly held the distinction of being the youngest person to have sailed around the world alone. England's Mike Perham currently holds that distinction.

To put these adventures into perspective, more than 3,000 people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest during the past 56 years. According to the American Sailing Assn., fewer than 250 people have sailed alone around the world since Joshua Slocum logged the first documented solo-circumnavigation in 1898.

-- Pete Thomas

Truly a peak performance by South Africa surfer Grant Baker

South Africa surfer Grant "Twiggy" Baker on Friday night was duly-recognized and well-rewarded for 12 months spent traveling the planet in search of big waves, placing himself at considerable risk.

Baker, 36, for years at the forefront of the daredevil sport of big-wave surfing, was declared winner in the premier ride-of-the-year category of the yearlong Billabong XXL Global Big-Wave Awards. He was presented a check for $50,000 during a ceremony in Anaheim, Calif., for a ride on a huge day at Maverick's on Feb. 13, when he took off at the apex of a nearly sheer 50-foot peak and somehow negotiated the drop.

At the ceremony the Durban surfer told his peers and fans: "This is for my country, South Africa! We have the FIFA [soccer] World Cup later this year and we’re a proud nation."

Baker, who was not armed with a prepared speech, concluded by saying, "Drinks are on me!” Presumably, though, the celebration is waning and Baker and his fellow chargers are already looking for that next big swell.

-- Pete Thomas

Photos: Grant Baker accepts oversized check and a kiss on the cheek during Friday night's awards ceremoney. He was honored for his Feb. 13 ride at Maverick's. Credit: Frank Quirarte/Billabong XXL