Orcas Vs. Sperm, A Battle At Sea

Amazing things happen in the ocean, far from the gaze of the average human being and even the average sailor.  The largest mammals on the Earth do battle.  Orcas hunt sperm whales.  The scenario goes on frequently, yet few have ever filmed it.

Like wolves, Orcas hunt in packs.  However, not all Orcas hunt in packs.  Some Orcas are considered transient, with fewer whales herded together.  While resident Orcas tend to form larger herds and hunt together more efficiently.



Orcas vs. Sperm Whales from Blue Sphere Media on Vimeo


In this video, the Sperm Whales form a tight pack around an injured cub.  If the Orcas can separate the cub from the protection of the pod they will eat him alive.  Charge! An Orca rams the side of one the slow moving sperm whales, trying to force it away from the meal the Orcas seek.

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It takes a certain breed of explorer to jump into the water during a pack hunt with the biggest predators in the world. A mere decision to attack and the whale would make short work of the lone diver turned dare devil.

After "clicking" the diver to assess the threat, the whale turned his attention to the task at hand, the hunting of a smaller sperm whale.  Wisely, the diver elected to keep his distance from the pack of whales on the hunt for their fellow mammal prey.  After quickly returning to the safety of his ship, the diver approached for a closer view.

"I had heard warnings before about the extreme dangers of swimming with transient orcas, especially when these apex predators are engaged in a hunt," Heinrichs wrote. "But in my heart I knew they were highly intelligent and evolved creatures who 'should' have no interest in hurting me."

You can see the original video HERE

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One of the Orcas charged the pack of Sperm whales huddled tightly together to protect the weakest amongst them.  The attacked forced a smaller Sperm whale to separate from the pod.  With their prey isolated and defenseless, the Orcas followed the lone Sperm whale as she dove for cover.  Meanwhile, the pack of Sperm whales ran from the scene.

Sperm whales mostly eat squid and small fish.  They lack the speed and agility of Orcas.  However, they have the ability to dive deeper than an Orca.

Will an Orca "Killer" whale eat a man?



You bet! The diver who jumped into the water to film the pack of Orcas attacking the pod of sperm whales was taking a huge chance with his life.  Not all people are in agreement with the contention, but they didn't get their nickname "killer whale" by accident. -->

Norwegian Sailors Rescued After Dismasting Near Azores

A Norwegian couple expressed their gratitude after being rescued after their yacht was dismasted in heavy seas while Crossing from the Azores to the Hebrides with a final destination of Norway. 

 Irish naval vessle Le Aoife tows Alice II

"We are happy to be ashore," said Erik Ostberg once safe in the harbor.  "We were very worried when the mast came down."

Ostberg and his wife, Gretta, were on a dream cruise around the Caribbean.  They had been cruising the gentle waters of the Caribbean for 13 months.  They were on their way back to their home town of Haugesund in Norway when they encountered "raging seas". 

 Haugesund Norway

The couple were sailing their wooden yacht, Alice II, into the teeth of heavy winds and seas when the bowsprit was ripped away.  Then the mast fell, taking with it the Norwegian couple's best chance for communication.  Without their VHF radio the elderly couple were not even able to call for help.

Rescue Crew and Erik and Gretta Ostberg

The couple finally spotted the French trawler the "Bikaine".  Flares were used to attract attention.  After what must have seemed like an eternity, the Irish navy came to the rescue, towing the damaged sailboat to port.  Two crewmembers from the Le Aoife boarded the Alice II while the Ostberg couple recuperated on the Le Aoife.  The vessel was comanded by Lt. Cdr. Ericka Downing.  

Cmd. Downing

Le Aoife is an offshore patrol vessel specifically modified for stability.  The ship played a major role in locating the flight recorded of a downed Air-India flight which crashed off of the South Irisih coast in 1985.

Last month the French yacht, Grain de Soleil was sunk during heavy weather in the Atlantic.  Another yacht, the Lady Domina, of unknown registry, disappeared under odd circumstances around May 3, 2013.  The reported intention of the crew was to cross the Atlantic from St. Martin to the Azores.  Neither yacht nor their crews have been found.

This yacht went down in 8 feet of water.  Unfortunately, the ocean currents on the reef where she came to rest were too much for her.  She disintegrated within two weeks, with no chance of salvage.

This yacht was made of ferrocement, which defies logic about it's ability to float.  Most people think of cement as what they use to weigh down pylons, not skin boats.  Yet the physics apply with cement as much as they do fiberglass, steel and aluminum.  A vessel needs only contain more buoyant forces than gravitational forces and it will remain above the waves.

Once the forces of gravity exceed the forces of buoyancy, the boat sinks.  When water breaches the hull the battle with gravity begins in earnest, as water displaces the buoyancy.  

No loss of life was reported with the sinking of this yacht.  However, certainly, there were some lost dreams.   Sometimes, at least to the sailors who crew these small boats, it can be hard to tell the difference.  

When a boat breaks from her mooring all hell can break loose.  It is not a fun place to be!  Unfortunately, this wayward yacht reminds me of my own adventures.  At least, on the better side, the yacht seems to be unoccupied.  Yachts can be replaced, sailors come one of a kind.

In my case, the Sea Ranch Marina, South Padre Island, Texas, insisted on having the right to move my boat.  When a hurricane came up, Hurricane Dolly, they didn't bother to tie her down well.  In the middle of the storm CNN did a live broadcast from South Padre Island.  It appears, a sailboat broke loose and was careening across the harbor.

My boat wan anchored along the dock jutting out

The damage to my boat was over $40,000.00.  It was the first year I dropped the insurance on the boat.  Now she sits, waiting for her owner to find the funds to repair her.  Does not look very probable, considering difficult times.  Dreams can be lost so easily.

Capt. Murphy Hacks La Vida Nueva Free

A maritime lawyer told me there was not much I could do about seeking compensation from Sea Ranch Marina on South Padre Island.  I was the captain and the Marina has little liability for damage!  My lesson, be careful who you trust with your life's savings.  It isn't their life's savings.  They have little to lose, while the owner has everything to lose!

La Vida Nueva falls off into the mist

Sailboats are a lifetime investment for many.  The time to own a boat is while you have time to sail it.  When it is time to get off of the boat, sell the boat!  You can't watch a boat while you are away, and no one is going to watch her for you!  Maybe better said, it is hard to find someone to care for your things like you do!

How much does a sailboat cost?  "You have no right, or business owning a yacht if you ask that question!"

Some of us learn slowly.

Our Best Wishes For Lady Domina

Today, we have no news to share about the missing yacht, the Lady Domina. Instead we thought we would express our best wishes to the families of the missing Sailors. Please take a moment to leave a comment below and tell the families how you feel.

It is always easy to see how each of us differs. When it comes to sailors, it is easy to see what we have in common. There is something in the human spirit that seeks a common adventure, the chance to experience nature, a desire to taste the love of life, the sense of sharing a common risk, and when tragedy strikes, the camaraderie that occurs as the community rises together to find a solution.

The Lady Domina is a 75 foot motorsailor.  She departed St. Martin on March 31st, 2013.  She cleared out of Puerto Rico on April 4, 2013.  A fellow sailor overheard one half of a conversation with the yacht on May 3rd, 2013.  It was the Puerto Rican Coast Guard talking to the Lady Domina about weather.  No one has seen or heard from the yacht since then.

As I have been writing about this story one of the rewards has been the outpouring of love and support for the families. As I have been writing about the developments of the search, the ups and downs, the strategy of keeping the story front and center in the minds of the cruising community, I have failed in one large sense.  I failed to tell the families how many people have expressed their love and support for the missing sailors.

The support came from many places.  Many people who know the sailors expressed their support. Many people who never met these sailors expressed similar sentiments. What a gift we find in the midst of an emergency. The cruisers forum has over 33,000 hits on this single thread, in the face of the average thread that gets maybe 1000.

Tore Christiansen has been a real trooper, along with the support and advice of all of the people on the Cruisers Forum. We thank each of you for your great suggestions and more, we thank each of you for the motives that lie behind those suggestions.  We thank you for the common love and respect for our fellow man, even if he is not a person you know first hand.

2nd of November 2012 in Rodney Bay St Lucia

To the cruising community, we ask each of you to keep your eyes peeled on the horizon, to be watching in every port.  One day soon, we are sure, the Lady Domina and her crew will appear.  We also ask for photos of the Lady Domina and her crew if you have them.  If you have a story or an anecdote you can tell about them we would love to hear about it.  Please send them to us HERE.

We pray the sailors not lose faith in themselves and they continue in their efforts for a safe and speedy return.   

Norwegian Anders Mosteid 

(27) Stian Abrahamsen (29) skipper and owner

 of the boat, Øyvind Slettvold (59), Dane Brian 

Fritzner (46) and English Katie Lee (34). 

To the families, we express our heart felt loss, our support for the ordeal each family member suffers, and our common sense that through continued hope and diligence and by powers far greater than ourselves, these young people will be home with their families soon.

Lady Domina On Radio 1150 AM

Tim Paynter and Willie Rouge talked about the missing yacht, Lady Domina, on 1150 AM radio, Denver.  They asked all of their listeners to phone home and ask their relatives to be on the lookout for the missing yacht.  

Demographics show listeners of Un Dia Sin Fronteras come from mostly Spanish speaking countries. Those include the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico and a host of different places that are in the Caribbean

The Lady Domina

The Lady Domina Disappeared March 31st, 2013.  She was reported to have arrived and left Puerto Rico on April 4th, 2013.  Some people believe she is taking the long route home to Norway.  Others think she may have had engine problems

File Photo

and is floating in the Atlantic.  She carried a large amount of food and water.  The crew were solid people and good sailors.

You can listen to the program HERE.  The program is in Spanish.  Just hit the button "Show 1013".

Marigot Bay, St. Martin

If the yacht is spotted please notify us HERE, and Tore Christiansen HERE.

We are also looking for pictures, videos, personal anecdotes, of the boat and crew, anything that might give us a clue as to where this boat is.

One suspicion is the Lady Domina was hijacked, though hijackings on the route are rare.  Such event could have occurred while the yacht was in Puerto Rico.  If so, the yacht could be ANYWHERE including in central and South American ports.

San Juan Puerto Rico

Also missing are the crew from the French yacht, Grain de Soleil.  The boat sank after encountering a severe storm about 500 miles Southwest of the Azores.  An active search continued for an extended period of time.  However, no sign of the missing crew was found.  

All ships and all sailors to the region are asked to keep a sharp lookout for the Grain de Soleil and the Lady Domina.



Pingates.com

Is This The Lady Domina?

The Lady Domina was located in Marigot Bay in St. Martin for an extended period of time.  After leaving the bay on March 31st, the yacht went to Puerto Rico.  The yacht may also have gone into the ocean for a period and then returned, calling for weather on May 3, 2013.

Is this the Lady Domina?

Top Down Photographs of a Large Yacht St. Martin

Can anyone identify this yacht?  It was located in 

Marigot Bay, St. Martin.

Can anyone place where the Lady Domina was in the
 harbor in St. Martin?

Marigot Bay, St. Martin

We are looking for anyone who knew the crew or knows the boat.  We would like to talk to you.  Please contact us at paynterlawfirm@gmail.com.  You can also contact me (more quickly HERE.  Please put Lady Domina in the subtitle)  

Please note, I am not acting as an attorney in this case as it is far out of my jurisdiction and also I don't do Maritime law.  Rather, we are seeking answers to help family and crew.  It is our goal to write about this case, to insure it is made as public as possible, so people are always on the hunt.  We thank each of you for your great contributions.  This has been a learning experience!

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