Subject: Re: the whales Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 22:46:56 -1000 From: Gary & Jacqui Hoover <hoovsail@gte.net> Organization: Tradewind Yachting Services Hi guys,
I've been at sea on charter all week so that's the reason for the silence. The courts again turned down request to stop the tests on Monday, The Navy testing and the swimming protesters continue. No testing can take place if a swimmer is in the water within 1000 yds of the research vessel. Here's a website to keep you updated and educated on the current events, http://www.dreamweaving.com/lfas.htm, check out the message board found there! Thank all of you for your interest and expressing your view points. Please do your best to educate yourself and those around you in this complicated matter.Best regards,
Captain Gary Hoover
Catamaran Noa Noa
Big Island of Hawaii
Subject: Re: [MHml] Whale Wars, News from the Front Lines Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 23:06:13 -1000 From: Gary & Jacqui Hoover <hoovsail@gte.net> Organization: Tradewind Yachting Services To: multihulls@steamradio.com The protest fleet made the local news tonight. They will be out in force tomorrow. Also a USCG 100 ft Patrol boat arrived today!! This past week the commerical whalewatch tours have observed the whales moving distinctly away from the research vessels area. Also,the normal whale singing and interaction sounds are different, seemingly more stressed with a change in normal cadenence and pitch! I'm no professional biologist, but I've spent years observing and listening to these same whales, and something is definitely changing.
For myself and I hope the others, we will send in to your site, any additional links or news on whales, as it developes around the world. Last month, the migrating grey whales along the Central California coast were also blasted with low frequency waves, so Hawaii is not an isolated incident. Again Mr. Oster, Mahalo nui loa for your fine website and your commitment to a healthy ocean enviroment! As sailors, we will be the ones to lead the way in this challenge, probably because we're such an impatient lot, "Tack, Jibe, or get the H___L! out of the way!!"
Aloha,
Captain Gary Hoover
Catamaran Noa Noa
Big Island of Hawaii
Subject: [MHml] Whale Wars, News from the Front Lines Date: Fri, 06 Mar 1998 17:51:19 -1000 From: Gary & Jacqui Hoover <hoovsail@gte.net> Organization: Tradewind Yachting Services To: multihulls@steamradio.com Aloha Multihull Sailors and friends,
My name Is Gary Hoover, I live on the island of Hawaii (Big Island) and have Captained and managed Large (50 ft +) catamarans along this coast for the past ten years.
My purpose in writing to you now is to bring everyone up to speed on the Biggest threat to the whale population since commerical whaling ended! I'd like to give a personal insight into the fight the commerical catamaran operators are waging here on the island, daily, to stop this menace.
If you read the article which Mr. Fish brought to your attention, you will have an idea of the NAVY's Low Frequency Active Sonar, and the tests which are being conducted here NOW, in the waters surrounding this island. As I write this, I can see the NAVY research vessel, R/V Cory Chouest, just offshore.
As many of you are aware, the waters around this and other Hawaii islands are the primary winter calving and mating areas for the North Pacific Humpback whales. The federal goverment has worked with the State of Hawaii for years in establishing a series of National Marine Sanctuaries for the protection and preservation of these "Gentle Giants", here in the Hawaiian waters. The criteria for the boundaries of these areas was, among other things, the high levels of cow,calf and matting activities, which take place in these areas. A large section of the near shore waters of this island,out to the 100 fathom line, has been designated as such an area. VERY UNFORTUNATLY, for the innocent, un-suspecting Humpback whales, the boundries around this area is where the NAVY has targeted to perform their so called "research". Also each evening near sunset they move into the sanctuary waters, sometimes moving within a mile of shore, where they remain until about mid-morning of the next day, or until one of the fleet of local protest vessels gets on their tail.
This has all is being permitted and approved by by the same goverment which has sworn to protect this Endangered Specices, all in the name of "National Security"! Have you ever heard that line before? Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling doesn't it!!! How dangerous is a little noise in the ocean you say, well, my learning curve on the subject has been steep, see>www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/<, but the NAVY's permit, issued by the National Marine Fisheries, Office of PROTECTED RESOURCES, allows for "INCIDENTIAL KILLS", by the NAVY, in the course of this project.
However, NMFS directors and biologists, are unable to define what"INCIDENTAL KILL" means, one DEAD whale, ten, one hundred, you see the problem. The NAVY researchers are also not identifing the specific whales they are blasting with this sound wave, so there can be no follow up studies on the effects etc. As these whales can live without food for 12 to 18 months, when it washes ashore in ALASKA next year, the reseachers hands will be "CLEAN", ie "died of unknown causes". As one noted whale researcher stated so well, "A DEAF whale is a DEAD whale, its just a matter of Time!"
As sailors, I would appreciate your assistance in raising the flag to the general public, to ask some serious questions and get some proper answers before "WE The PEOPLE" allow this program to continue. Besides, I thought most of those dangerous Russian Submarines were tied up at the various Russian Naval bases, polluting their harbors,due to various "Operational Difficulties" so what's with the " National Security" line anyway ?
If there are some of you out there with special knowledge in underwater or bio acoustics,could you share with us the possible reprocussions of 235 to 250 decibles, in a pure sine wave or tone, blasting through the oceans of the world. Thanks for your interest, gang
Fair winds and QUITE seas to you all!
Captain Gary Hoover
S/V Noa Noa
Big Island of Hawaii
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