Large Whale Spotted Off Clearwater Coast

[Morpheus]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24445058/

TBO.com
When John Peppe took his family out boating to troll for kingfish, he never thought he would get a close up view of a 30 foot whale.
The giant aquatic mammal, believed to be a sperm whale, was spotted heading south about a half mile offshore off Sand Key Beach in Clearwater.

While it is not uncommon to see the whales in the Gulf of Mexico, it is rare to see them within a few miles of the shoreline.

 

[Hampton]

Yeah!

 

[Nehalennia]

No pictures....???????

We have Grey Whales and Orca around us. It's an amazing experience to see them up close. Orca are my favorite animals on the planet. They are so amazing and majestic. Tragic to see them at risk. Great video of the affect of Sonar on Killer whales


Can you believe the Navy used to use them as target practice?

 

[Morpheus]

Here you go better story on it with pictures and videos.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/...n=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.1.1

It happened about 500 yards off Sand Key, just south of Clearwater Pass.

 

[chuck1]

Cool, but I've got one question about the article. It said they went up close to get pictures. How close would somebody go to a whale in a fishing boat? Kind of sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Like when people pull over to feed the bears then get attacked.:smt021 Here is your sign!:thumbsup:

 

[Nehalennia]

Cool, but I've got one question about the article. It said they went up close to get pictures. How close would somebody go to a whale in a fishing boat? Kind of sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Like when people pull over to feed the bears then get attacked.:smt021 Here is your sign!:thumbsup:

you mean like this. I've never heard of an attack on humans though

or

or

or

 

[Bridog]

Gary, You and the girls down in Florida lately?

 

[Morpheus]

When your get to close to wildlife with your boat they will steal your fenders!

 

[ylwjacket]

i've seen whales like that in the gulf, but not close to shore. i've seen plenty of smaller pilot whales. my boat's bigger than them, so they don't scare me much.

 

[Cap10Joe]

We went out of John's Pass at about 2:45 towards Egmont Key to get back home, not sure what we would have done if we saw the whale so close to shore.

 

[dpvandy01]

Cool, but I've got one question about the article. It said they went up close to get pictures. How close would somebody go to a whale in a fishing boat? Kind of sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Like when people pull over to feed the bears then get attacked.:smt021 Here is your sign!:thumbsup:

Isn't it illegal to intentionally approach within 300 feet?

 

[ylwjacket]

We went out of John's Pass at about 2:45 towards Egmont Key to get back home, not sure what we would have done if we saw the whale so close to shore.

said "cool", and taken a picture, like eveyone else.

Isn't it illegal to intentionally approach within 300 feet?

no clue. don't see them that often.

i do know, though, that the coast guard has no sense of humor when you violate the buffer by oil tankers lined up 20 miles out, waiting for harbor pilots.

 

[Morpheus]

Isn't it illegal to intentionally approach within 300 feet?

Tell that to the whale, you gonna give the whale a ticket?

 

[mrsrobinson]

Gary, You and the girls down in Florida lately?

I was thinking the same thing...looks like her internet job is no longer paying the bills.