Whales Are Great, but the People . . .
Spurred by your informative Jan. 18 article on the whales passing along our coastline, I made arrangements to go on a whale-watching tour on Saturday with my son. Yes, we were thrilled to see several whales, majestically heading for their winter home in Mexico. However, the most impressive event of the day was watching certain recreational boaters harass the whales.
As our tour boat, the Sum Fun, and several other boats kept a respectful distance from an adult whale and her calf, some boaters approached within a few feet, causing the whales to panic and change course. The mother attempted to lift her calf out of the water with her tail. One skiff whizzed over a spot where whales had been just a moment before. This was truly disturbing to behold.
Boaters leaving the harbors of California during whale migration season need to be educated more thoroughly on the care of these magnificent mammals as we share their marine territory.
JOHN LaGOURGUE
Dana Point
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