you thought sea lions were bad.....

  Cool video............those Orca's were mighty awful close.At least the guys got most of the salmon in.
   Not too sure that I'd want that closeness in a kayak.........too much pucker power for me....

Cheehuahua!!! Giving me second thoughts about the derby. Where exactly was this? Do orcas like the taste of Hobies?


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What is a boat's responsibility to maintain distance is such a case?  You're fishing and orcas show up.  Are you legally required to maintain some distance regardless of the wanderings of the animals? 

That's not puget sound.  The Video was taken 3+ years ago in Ketchikan, it's also not 'great white sharks' as the YouTube label states.

IIRC, In Puget Sound you can be fined for being that close to the whales, even if they came to you.

here's extract from the hawaii side of things, if you'rre interested;

Q. How close I can get to a humpback whale?
A. Federal law states that no one may approach a humpback whale within 100 yards in Hawaiian waters. This means that all ocean users (boaters, swimmers, surfers, etc. ) must stay at least 100 yards from any humpback whale at all times. NOAA and DLNR issue a very limited number of special permits to researchers and rescue personnel to get closer than 100 yards. If, while on the water, you find a whale closer than 100 yards to you - if a whale approaches you, for instance - NOAA asks that you remain stationary and wait for the whale to move away. If you are in a motorized vessel, please put your engine in neutral (do not turn it off), and wait for the whale to move away. For more information about whale watching rules and guidelines in Hawaii, please visit the HIHWNMS whale guidelines web page.

Q. How close can I get to whales, dolphins, seals and turtles?
A. Except for humpback whales (see above), there is no law specifying the minimum distance people can approach a marine mammal or sea turtle. However, getting close to these animals may constitute a federal or state violation if the animal is disturbed or if your action has the potential to disturb its natural behavioral patterns. NOAA and DLNR recommend, for your safety and the animals' protection, that everyone stay at least 150 feet from all marine mammals and sea turtles. If maintaining this distance isn't possible, keep safety in mind and move away from the animal as carefully as possible, avoiding sudden movements and other actions that might disturb the animal. For wildlife viewers, please enjoy from a distance - use binoculars and telephoto lenses to get the best views without disturbing the wildlife.

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Legal Protections
 All marine mammals and sea turtles are protected by federal and state law. An overview of this protection is provided below. For more information, check out the following websites:
NOAA's Office of Protected Resources
Hawaii Administrative Rules 13-124: Endangered and threatened wildlife
 

MMPA and ESA
 Under federal law, all marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Some marine mammals, including humpback whales, sperm whales, and Hawaiian monk seals, are also protected as endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Sea turtles are also protected under the ESA. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for administering the MMPA and ESA.

National Marine Sanctuaries Act
 Humpback whales are protected in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA). The sanctuary is co-managed as a federal-state partnership by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and NOAA, National Ocean Service, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

State Law
 Marine mammals and sea turtles listed as endangered or threatened species, including humpback whales, sperm whales, Hawaiian monk seals, and all species of sea turtle, are protected under Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 195D and Hawaii Administrative Rules, 13-124.

trying to pull up the actual link but friggin windoze7 wont let me since it's a 2nd tab.

WDFW says;


In an effort to improve boater behavior around the southern residents, the Washington Legislature passed a law (RCW 77.15.740) in 2008 placing legal restrictions on the activities of vessels near the whales. It is now unlawful to:

•Approach within 300 feet of a southern resident whale;
•Cause a vessel or other object to approach within 300 feet of a southern resident whale.  Vessels are defined as including aircraft, canoes, fishing vessels, kayaks, personal watercraft, rafts, recreational vessels, tour boats, whale watching boats, vessels engaged in whale watching activities, or other small craft including power boats and sailboats;
•Intercept a southern resident whale.  Interception is defined as when a person places a vessel or allows a vessel to remain in the path of a whale and the whale approaches within 300 feet of that vessel;
•Fail to disengage the transmission of a vessel that is within 300 feet of a southern resident whale, for which the vessel operator is strictly liable; or
•Feed a southern resident whale.

Exemptions from the law exist as follow:
•Adherence must not threaten the safety of the vessel, the vessel's crew or passengers, or is not feasible due to vessel design limitations, or because the vessel is restricted in its ability to maneuver due to wind, current, tide, or weather;
•Persons lawfully participating in a commercial fishery and are engaged in actively setting, retrieving, or closely tending commercial fishing gear;
•Persons acting in the course of official duty for a state, federal, tribal, or local government agency; or
•Persons acting pursuant to and consistent with authorization from a state or federal government agency.

For more information or to report violators, contact:
 

In Washington,
•NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement at 1-800-853-1964
•During business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Monday through Friday, contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at 1-360-902-2936
•After hours, on weekends, and holidays, contact the local Washington State Patrol office for your area.

In British Columbia,
•Fisheries and Oceans Canada at 1-800-465-4336
 


 

It does not specify what to do if Orcas approach you, but you cannot approach within 200 yards (600 ft) of an Orca, or block it's path from 400 yards, including in a kayak.

As of April 14, 2011 (link:

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 224
[Docket No. 070821475–91169–02]
RIN 0648–AV15
Protective Regulations for Killer
Whales in the Northwest Region Under
the Endangered Species Act and
Marine Mammal Protection Act
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: We, the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), establish
regulations under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) to prohibit
vessels from approaching killer whales
within 200 yards (182.9 m) and from
parking in the path of whales when in
inland waters of Washington State.
Certain vessels are exempt from the
prohibitions. The purpose of this final
rule is to protect killer whales from
interference and noise associated with
vessels. We identified disturbance and
sound associated with vessels as a
potential contributing factor in the
recent decline of this population during
the development of the final rule
announcing the endangered listing of
Southern Resident killer whales and the
associated Recovery Plan for Southern
Resident killer whales (Recovery Plan).
The Recovery Plan calls for evaluating
current guidelines and assessing the
need for regulations and/or protected
areas. To implement the actions in the
Recovery Plan, we developed this final
rule after considering comments
submitted in response to an Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR)
and proposed rule, and preparing an
environmental assessment (EA). This
final rule does not include a seasonal
no-go zone for vessels along the west
side of San Juan Island that was in the
proposed rule. We will continue to
collect information on a no-go zone for
consideration in a future rulemaking.
DATES: This final rule is effective May
16, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Copies of this rule and the
Environmental Assessment, Regulatory
Impact Review and Finding of No
Significant Impact related to this rule
can be obtained from the Web site
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov. Written
requests for copies of these documents
should be addressed to Assistant
Regional Administrator, Protected
Resources Division, Northwest Regional
Office, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE.,
Seattle, WA 98115.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynne Barre, Northwest Regional Office,
206–526–4745; or Trevor Spradlin,
Office of Protected Resources, 301–713–
2322.