A High Speed Ferry on the way from Hammerfest to Alta in Finnmark, Norway collided with a whale
HSC Falkefjell:
HISTORIE OM NORSKE HURTIGBÅTER (1960 - 2025) - Falkefjell (2011)
HISTORIE OM NORSKE HURTIGBÅTER (1960 - 2025) - Falkefjell (2011)
Update:
The rescue boat “Utvær” based in #Alta has tonight assisted with the towing of a #speedboat that experienced a total breakdown in propulsion in #Vargsundet , as a result of a collision with a #whale .
Source: Skipsulykker | Page 119 | Norsk Skipsfarts Forum
Unfortunately this whale hadn’t evolved to that level:
Here is another news article + video of the incident:
PS> No English text .
Breaks my heart to see an animal struggling toward death.
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Same sentiment here, but I admit to cognitive dissonance, since I am not a Vegan…
I have experience of colliding with a whale, but not at high speed, like here.
This was on the drillship Fredericksburg in the Andaman Sea, on the way from S’pore to Port Blair, Andaman Islands. We made only 6 kts. under own power,
The whale was not hit “full on”, only a light bump on our Port bow and was seen blowing after the incident. No matter, the comment from one of the drill crew was;
“You Norwegians can’t stop hunting whales, can you?”
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I’ve spent a lot of time steering around them, particularly off the Natal Coast, and Santa Barbara Channel,
When yacht sailing in the baltic, I often enjoy being accompanied by schools of porpoises at close quartes. A day spent watching these creatures is a day not lost to life. Fortunately, they are very good at evading boats, and my 7 kts of SOG lie well within their evolutionary scope. No aquatic animal is equiped to gauge a HSC…
No data round Norway, sketchy global coverage so far. Hypothetical question: Will route planners bother, when bottom lines are affected by speed reductions or detours?
Are people in the industry aware of these data at all? Does anybody care? Beyond being well-meant, does this have a chance of becoming useful?