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12:47 PM Tue 11 Nov 2008 GMT
With Hermanus, one of the best land based whale watching spots in the world less than two hours from Cape Town, Team Russia's racing and shore team were invited to learn more about these fantastic animals yesterday in a trip to this whale watching hot spot.
Local Cape Town resident Mikey Joubert, a regular visitor to Hermanus, joined other sailors in finding out more about Team Russia's 'We Sail for the Whale' environmental campaign. Noel Ashton, local whale sculptor and expert marine biologist was on hand alongside WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society) specialist Dr. Karsten Brensing, to act as guides.
Hermanus is home to the Southern Right Whales, called 'Right' whales, as they were considered the perfect prey for hunting, as they floated after being killed.
Noel Ashton explained, 'The Southern Right Whales are a good example of a species not now critically endangered. Thirty-five years ago, when I first saw these whales, there were a maximum of 15 in the bay. Now, there are around 140 of them just here. They are expanding at their maximum biological rate, doubling population every ten years - it's an extraordinary increase'. There southern population is estimated at 7.000 - 8000 whales
In comparison, the North Atlantic Right Whale with a static population of around 350 is a highly endangered species. WDCS with its North American office near Boston has been campaigning for the protection of these distant cousins of the thriving southern right whales. 'If there was a virus or anything similar, the species could be lost within one season,' said Brensing.
The Southern Right Whales have benefitted from the programme of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The crew could immediately see the benefit of the whales having spaces where they are free to breed, with a mother and calf floating just near the beach.
They also had the opportunity to see the MPA agreement in operation, as a group of whale watchers in Kayaks had to observe the 300m boundary limits. Only licensed whale watching boats are allowed near the area, and they have to comply with strict distance limits.
The WDCS, We Sail for the Whale campaign is raising awareness of the need for more Marine Protected Areas, and aims to establish another 12 large areas around the globe by 2012. Karsten Brensing explained that; 'an area that has no MPA means boats can go anywhere, and it's the environmentalists who have to prove shipping and other hazards are causing a threat. The advantage of having an MPA in place is that commerce and industry can still take place, and the industry has to prove they are leaving no footprint which is harmful to the Whales.'
Ashton also explained to the crew the different actions they may see from the whales, as they race around the world, including:
Spy-hopping when they pop up to take a look at what's around.
Breaching, when the whale launches itself out of the water
Tail and flipper lobs, where they smack their flippers down hard on the water
All are considered to be some form of communication by the experts.
Shortly after he spoke the crew had a good demonstration of tail lobs and breaching just out to sea.
After spending a few hours watching the whales from the spectacularly positioned Bientangs Cave caf?, the Team visited the Hermanus 'Whale House' a small local museum, with an excellent exhibition. The crew were so engaged; it was difficult to get them out and back on the bus.
Ashton pointed out how whale watching has become an important tourist attraction and is very important for the local community as well as the environment. The whales have far more ongoing economic impact by keeping them alive!
Nick Bubb, newly promoted watch leader on Team Russia said, 'I've learned so much today - this is fascinating. Whales are the top predator and are at the top of the food chain. They are the flagship species. If the whale and dolphin species are threatened then it means that the whole marine environment is at risk. The world surface is 71% oceans, and it's not rocket science that any impact on the marine environment has a huge impact on the entire eco-system, influencing and destroying the food chain.'
The trip, which was organised with the support of SA Tourism, engaged the interest and inspired all who went. The Team Russia crew would like to thank SA Tourism, Noel Ashton, Karston Brensing and campaign coordinator Holger Roenitz of WDCS, for such a valuable day out.
Tim Dean has not always had the easiest time in this race, but the Cape Town stopover has been a pleasant change for the Team Russia shore manager.
The Englishman was repeatedly forced to bury his head in his hands in the 2005-06 race as his team, Ericsson, limped across the finish line with keel damage at the end of leg one before finishing the second on a container ship after another breakdown.
To top it off, he was then shocked by lightning while inspecting the mast in Melbourne - he was the team's rig manager - and endured a trip to hospital.
Now, however, with Team Russia safely in port he is staring at a job list that includes no major repairs.
'It's great,' he said. 'The last race was all fire engines and big yellow helmets, but we are here in really good shape. A pleasant surprise.
'We have come out of it remarkably unscathed; it's a very small list. No major bits and pieces at all. Steering platform wanted to be 100 mm taller, little bit of loose ware on rudder quadrants and just a few small items like that.
'I get a list off the boat every five days from Nick Bubb (their boat captain) and you soon get a good idea whether you are heading for trouble or if it will be relatively easy. After the second list came in I was showing it to our boat builder and just keeping fingers crossed. We were pleased with how she held up. It could have been a lot worse.'
The team plans to step the mast on Wednesday afternoon before returning Kosatka to the water later that evening.
Much of the emphasis around the docks has been placed on getting the boat as close to perfect as possible ahead of a series of short stopovers. Dean believes it is impossible to get any of the yachts back to '100%' after a leg as intense as the 6,500-nautical miles from Alicante, but he is happy with the boat's condition.
'You never achieve 100% for these boats,' he said. 'There will always be a hundred small items on the list and you have to prioritise them, like painting the heads. In the grand scheme of things, some of the little items just aren't going to get done in the time available.
'But she is pretty close and soon we will blow the tyres up and wash the windows and she'll be good to go. It was a lot better than it could have been.'
Elsewhere, PUMA Ocean Racing and Green Dragon became the first teams to return to the water. Both were hoisted in on Monday morning. The two Telefonica boats had their masts stepped on Monday, but remain in their cradles.
by Team Russia media
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