What is it?
Moderator: Jim Walsh
What is it?
Here are two photographs I took about 300 miles north of Bermuda. I noticed something on the surface at the furthest extent of my vision. As each swell passed I kept looking in the same direction as I lost sight of it frequently because it was so distant. Over a period of time it appeared to get closer and when still quite distant it was clear it had made a course change toward me. I took several pictures, all but one were of swells, not the subject. The one decent photo is shown below and I cropped the same photo so you can see the fin clearly. It is not a porpoise or whale. It continued toward me until it was a couple boat lengths from my stern. I surmised it was 15 feet long but that is a rough estimate. Apparently it's curiosity was satisfied and it resumed its previous course. It was on a mission.
Anyone familiar with this fin? It is rather distinctive.
Anyone familiar with this fin? It is rather distinctive.
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Jim Walsh
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
- Sea Hunt Video
- Posts: 2561
- Joined: May 4th, '11, 19:03
- Location: Former caretaker S/V Bali Ha'i 1982 CD 25D; Hull 69 and S/V Tadpole Typhoon Week
Re: What is it?
Jim:
That is the "sail fin" for the deployable antenna of a Borei-class Russian attack sub. They were obviously pinging and probing your vessel. You are lucky you survived.
It's not enough the Russians are hacking into our emails and election process. Now, they are also going after our pleasure craft.
That is the "sail fin" for the deployable antenna of a Borei-class Russian attack sub. They were obviously pinging and probing your vessel. You are lucky you survived.
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
It's not enough the Russians are hacking into our emails and election process. Now, they are also going after our pleasure craft.
Fair winds,
Roberto
a/k/a Sea Hunt "The Tadpole Sailor"
CDSOA #1097
________________________________
"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way." Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, as quoted in Naval History and Heritage Command, http://www.history.navy.mil
Roberto
a/k/a Sea Hunt "The Tadpole Sailor"
CDSOA #1097
________________________________
"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way." Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, as quoted in Naval History and Heritage Command, http://www.history.navy.mil
-
- Posts: 518
- Joined: Jun 1st, '13, 17:05
- Location: CD 31. #33 "Glissade"
Re: What is it?
Could be a sub, but my guess is the giant sunfish, mola mola. We saw one in Cape Cod bay in 2013. I thought it was a whale or shark with the big dorsal fin, so I slowed to idle and let it approach. I've seen a few of these in that area over the years and recognized it. They can get big - a ton or more.
Or maybe it is a sub trying to steal the military secrets of the Cape Dorys. Now you might say that you know of no military secrets on our boats, but if you knew about them, they wouldn't be secrets, would they?
Terry
Or maybe it is a sub trying to steal the military secrets of the Cape Dorys. Now you might say that you know of no military secrets on our boats, but if you knew about them, they wouldn't be secrets, would they?
Terry
Jennifer & Terry McAdams
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Way too many other small boats
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Way too many other small boats
- bottomscraper
- Posts: 1400
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 11:08
- Location: Previous Owner of CD36 Mahalo #163 1990
- Contact:
Re: What is it?
I'm thinking ocean sunfish also. There is a funny video on Youtube (with some colorful language so I won't post a link) that you can find by Googling "Boston Ocean Sunfish". Melissa and I saw one on our way from P'town to Maine back a few year ago.
Rich Abato
Nordic Tug 34 Tanuki
Previous Owner Of CD36 Mahalo #163
Southern Maine
http://www.sailmahalo.com
Nordic Tug 34 Tanuki
Previous Owner Of CD36 Mahalo #163
Southern Maine
http://www.sailmahalo.com
Re: What is it?
I'm glad to see you made it through the hurricane. It appears your sense of humor is intactSea Hunt Video wrote:Jim:
That is the "sail fin" for the deployable antenna of a Borei-class Russian attack sub. They were obviously pinging and probing your vessel. You are lucky you survived.![]()
It's not enough the Russians are hacking into our emails and election process. Now, they are also going after our pleasure craft.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Hope the house and boat are intact also.
Jim Walsh
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
Re: What is it?
It never occurred to me that it could be an ocean sunfish because it maintained course and speed over a long distance and altered course to check me out. I have seen them many times over the years and have seen them move very quickly when they thought I was getting too close but they always appeared and reappeared on the surface. I never saw one "cruising". I presumed it was a species of shark but you may be correct. I thought the fin resembled a mako's dorsal fin but it just didn't come close enough to be sure. It was clearly intent on establishing what I was before resuming its course. That's why I never swim at sea. ![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
Jim Walsh
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
Re: What is it?
The description of its movement does not sound like the sunfishes I have seen. Mako's are very. very fast moving sharks and rarely seen on the surface. It could be another type of shark that do often travel on the surface, like a small blue shark. Marlin are frequent surface feeders too. The fin shape, to me, looks not quite triangular enough to be a sunfish ? and maybe not quite sickle shaped enough for a white marlin? Hmmmmmmm, I think those that said it was a Russian sun might be on to something ![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
- Joe Myerson
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 11:22
- Location: s/v Creme Brulee, CD 25D, Hull #80, Squeteague Harbor, MA
Re: What is it?
Could it be a basking shark?
One surfaced next to Creme Brulee as I approached the eastern (Sandwich) end, and it was longer than my little boat. I thought it was a whale, my companion insisted that it looked like a shark; I asked a fisherman and he said she was correct. He called it a "whale shark."
Just a guess.
Roberto could be correct, it might have been a Russian sub loaded with hackers.
Joe
One surfaced next to Creme Brulee as I approached the eastern (Sandwich) end, and it was longer than my little boat. I thought it was a whale, my companion insisted that it looked like a shark; I asked a fisherman and he said she was correct. He called it a "whale shark."
Just a guess.
Roberto could be correct, it might have been a Russian sub loaded with hackers.
Joe
Former Commodore, CDSOA
Former Captain, Northeast Fleet
S/V Crème Brûlée, CD 25D, Hull # 80
"What a greate matter it is to saile a shyppe or goe to sea."
--Capt. John Smith, 1627
Former Captain, Northeast Fleet
S/V Crème Brûlée, CD 25D, Hull # 80
"What a greate matter it is to saile a shyppe or goe to sea."
--Capt. John Smith, 1627
- JWSutcliffe
- Posts: 301
- Joined: Jul 29th, '08, 22:41
- Location: CD 31 Oryx, hull #55, based in Branford CT
Re: What is it?
Looks like the ocean sunfish (Mola Mola) we saw off Block Island a number of years ago. Wild sight, never saw one before.
Skip Sutcliffe
CD31 Oryx
CD31 Oryx
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- Posts: 93
- Joined: Nov 6th, '07, 14:28
- Location: Sail Fish
'87 CD36 #147
SF Bay, CA
Re: What is it?
We see sunfish on a frequent basis outside the Golden Gate in the Gulf of Farallons. Here's one we saw this August just off Point Reyes. A pretty large one! The real highlight was large numbers of Humpback whales. The last two summers, some have congregated in the Gulf (rather than moving north to Alaska). My estimate was about 50 whales, all feeding on/near the surface. We were surrounded!
![Image](http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy100/sailfish87/August%202016%20Cruise/IMG_20160802_095635_BURST002.jpg)
![Image](http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy100/sailfish87/August%202016%20Cruise/IMG_20160804_121530.jpg)
![Image](http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy100/sailfish87/August%202016%20Cruise/IMG_20160802_130236.jpg)
![Image](http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy100/sailfish87/August%202016%20Cruise/IMG_20160802_095635_BURST002.jpg)
![Image](http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy100/sailfish87/August%202016%20Cruise/IMG_20160804_121530.jpg)
![Image](http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy100/sailfish87/August%202016%20Cruise/IMG_20160802_130236.jpg)
Doug Gibson
- Sea Hunt Video
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- Location: Former caretaker S/V Bali Ha'i 1982 CD 25D; Hull 69 and S/V Tadpole Typhoon Week
Re: What is it?
While Jim W.'s photos clearly and unquestionably depict the sail fin of a Borei-class Russian sub preparing to deploy one of its antennas, for those of you who still hold to the now debunked thought that the photos depict a sunfish I offer the following brief video:
http://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2015/1 ... -vstan.cnn
http://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2015/1 ... -vstan.cnn
Fair winds,
Roberto
a/k/a Sea Hunt "The Tadpole Sailor"
CDSOA #1097
________________________________
"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way." Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, as quoted in Naval History and Heritage Command, http://www.history.navy.mil
Roberto
a/k/a Sea Hunt "The Tadpole Sailor"
CDSOA #1097
________________________________
"I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way." Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, as quoted in Naval History and Heritage Command, http://www.history.navy.mil
Re: What is it?
Roberto, I can't believe you fell for the lame camouflage the Ruskies use on their subs! ![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
-michael & Toni CDSOA #789
s/v KAYLA CD28 #318
2012 FLSTC Heritage Classic
Niceville FL
+30° 30' 24.60", -86° 26' 32.10"
"Just because it worked, doesn't mean it works." -me
No shirt + No shorts = No problem!
s/v KAYLA CD28 #318
2012 FLSTC Heritage Classic
Niceville FL
+30° 30' 24.60", -86° 26' 32.10"
"Just because it worked, doesn't mean it works." -me
No shirt + No shorts = No problem!
- Steve Laume
- Posts: 4127
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- Location: Raven1984 Cape Dory 30C Hull #309Noank, CT
- Contact:
Re: What is it?
IT is hard to tell from Jim's pictures. The action of a fin is often as important as it's shape in determining who it belongs to. Sunfish fins always look like drunk sharks to me. They kind of wobble around without a predetermined coarse. Shark fins look purposeful and seem to slice through the water with no wobble. There is kinds of stuff out there, Steve.
Re: What is it?
This fin remained as it appears in my photo throughout the encounter.Steve Laume wrote:IT is hard to tell from Jim's pictures. The action of a fin is often as important as it's shape in determining who it belongs to. Sunfish fins always look like drunk sharks to me. They kind of wobble around without a predetermined coarse. Shark fins look purposeful and seem to slice through the water with no wobble. There is kinds of stuff out there, Steve.
Jim Walsh
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet
CD31 ORION
The currency of life is not money, it's time
-
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Mar 6th, '10, 21:51
- Location: Oriental, NC. CD 25D. Previously CD22, Typhoon and CD 10.
Re: What is it?
NOAA has a good guide to identifying sharks by their dorsal fin at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/species/sha ... _guide.pdf.
Perhaps a hammerhead or thresher?
Perhaps a hammerhead or thresher?