Whale - PAL v3 (pat.)
The Whale - PAL v3 is in part transparent and houses an LED for battery control. It produces a wide range of sounds to deter large whales from colliding with and attacking boats. The Whale - PAL is towed behind the boat on a steel line. A small otter board keeps it at a depth of about 2 meters. Feedback from 250 customers shows that the probability of getting through the "Orca Alley" unscathed increases to 99.1% when using the whale-PAL. Whale PAL reduces the probability of damage from 11% (no protectve measures) to just 0.9%, a reduction of 91%. (Please read on here: latest feedback analysis and background on orca attacks).
The stainless steel tow line is simply attached to the stern rail. Breaking load of all connections > 140 kg. Shape and handling have been extensively tested with fishermen and sailors and optimized with Bert Frisch from Trans Ocean (Verein zur Förderung des Hochseesegeln e.V.). Does not prevent dolphins from approaching. (Media feedback here).
Please contact us for prices and terms of delivery!
The stainless steel tow line is simply attached to the stern rail. Breaking load of all connections > 140 kg. Shape and handling have been extensively tested with fishermen and sailors and optimized with Bert Frisch from Trans Ocean (Verein zur Förderung des Hochseesegeln e.V.). Does not prevent dolphins from approaching. (Media feedback here).
Please contact us for prices and terms of delivery!
The Whale-PAL has a very robust, UV-protected housing. To increase safety on board, it is light, buoyant and has an internal shock-absorber. Designed, manufactured and tested in Germany. Two year warranty against manufacturing defects.
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Key features Whale-PAL v3:
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Customer reviews and accounts of orca-encounters
Read on: Feedback analysis and background on orca attacks
Last year, I sailed from the Netherlands along the Atlantic coast, around the Iberian Peninsula to near Barcelona. I set off in August and arrived at the end of November. Starting in Boulogne-sur-Mer, I launched the Whale Pal as soon as we set sail and towed it behind us. I didn't launch the Whale Pal when we were motoring. We probably spotted young orcas twice, surfacing about 15-20 meters diagonally behind our boat (150° to the course). They then submerged and weren't seen again. The first time was in the Bay of Cadiz. Howeevr, an attack was reported nearby by orca.pt on October 18, 2024. We didn't experience a single contact with an orca during the entire trip. I was very happy to have the Whale Pal on board. I simply had less worries and was able to sail the courses I wanted in a relaxed manner. At the hotspot from Cabo Trafalgar (Barbate) through the Strait of Gibraltar, I naturally sailed close to the coast. Although I didn't meticulously follow the 20m depth line. The whale pal has always resurfaced completely unscathed.
I used the whale PAL permanently last year, from Brest across the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean. I had on July 8th. 2024, between Barbate and Tarifa, a sighting of a group of four orcas living there. Three were female and one was male. They approached my boat and I immediately changed course and went under engine, out of the 30 meter zone and into even shallower water. I can't say whether it was because of the whale PAL or the change of course, but the group only got within fifty meters of me and then let go and moved away.
Observed by a fellow sailor: "They deployed their pal when the orcas were already there and had their first contact with the boat. After that they stayed at a distance"
We passed Gibraltar safely a few days ago. We came from the Azores and sailed straight into the strait. We had no contact with the orcas and didn't see any. We had installed the PAL in good time about 40nm before the passage and only pulled it in about 30nm behind Gibraltar in the Mediterranean. A day later, exactly on our route near Tarifa, a sailboat sank due to an orca attack. We reported on the use on our channels. See here.
On monday 5 August on our way from Aberwrach to Cherbourg at 20:40 we had yet another encounter with 3 or 4 Orcas Position 49°13.123 N 003° 26.008 W. We were sailing in NE direction. They came from E > W. We had the Whale PAL in the water. One Orca came at 3 meters on starboard side. And was going right to rudder. Suddenly he blew a lot of air bubbles out. Was it because he had seen me? Or because he heard the Whale Pal? I don't know, but they left. I believe the Whale Pal did its job.
I sail a 50’ catamaran and we just passed the Gibraltar Strait without any issues. We had your two whale-PAL deployed during our trip along the south coast of Portugal until about 100 nm after Gibraltar. Of course we will never know whether we were simply lucky or that your pingers were an effective deterrent. However, at approximately the same date and location, another yacht was sunk by orcas (the guardian). Three points of feedback for your consideration: First, one of the pingers got activated while still in your bag, for reasons I do not understand. I took out the battery, and the beep disappeared. [The whale-PAL has a visible copper contact inside, which, when approached by a finger, water or a steel line, will activate the device. I suggest covering it with buble foam, as during delivery, when storing for longer time periods]. Secondly, I had appreciated if you had supplied a small musketon/hank ar the end of each (steel) cable to easily connect/disconnect it to the boat. [Our customers sail such a viariety of boaty, that we leave attachment details up to them]. Thirdly, I sail a 50’ catamaran, hence the deployment of two pingers. When I connected both pingers on the inner side of each hull, they proved to be too close to each other and got intertwined. I then connected each to the outer side of each hull and all was fine. Maybe recommend catamaran users to connect on the outer side of each hull.
We are sailing a Bavaria 42. From La Coruña south we towed 3 steel lines (3mm diameter, 10 m long) close to the surface to prevent whales from approaching from the aft.
On March 12, 24 we sailed south from Lisbon and rounded Cabo Sao Vicente. There is a bay near Sagres an hour to the southeast and we wanted to anchor there. We had the Whale-PAL in standby in the cockpit.
There is a bar in front of the entrance to the bay, it is around 25 meters deep. We wanted to lower the sails there and had already taken in the 3 tow lines. The PAL was still in the cockpit.
When we wanted to start lowering the sails, about 100 meters from the entrance to the bay, the killer whales attacked. Out of the blue, so to speak, we hadn't seen the animals before. They came diving straight towards the boat.
There was no previous play with the boat, surfacing or swimming along the boat. Wind and waves were moderate, wind around 10 knots, an old swell. We were heading towards land when the killer whales grabbed our rudder and turned the boat 180 degrees towards the sea.
After the rudder was free again, we immediately set off on opposite course, back towards the bay. I took the whale PAL out of the bag and put it in the water. Immediately afterwards the attack stopped.
We later learned that 2 other yachts had been attacked by killer whales in the same area. They weren't so lucky: the rudders were broken off on both yachts. Since then, we have continuously towed our Whale-PAL when sailing along the Iberian coast.
We are very happy to have the Whale- Pal. It's great that you not only developed this defense system against these useless attacks from killer whales, but also continue to refine it. The effectiveness of the device was very impressive for us and gives us the security we need on our further sailing trips in this area. Thanks for that.
I had the Wal-PAL in tow on the way from Lagos to Madeira in April. I didn't see any orcas on the way. In September I returned to Lagos from the Azores. I activated the whale PAL about 300 nm off the coast. I didn't see any orcas again. Since adding the tail unit and changing the front attachment (from v2) the PAL has been running very smoothly.
We used the Whale-PAL from northern Spain (A Coruna) on our way to the Canary Islands; along the coasts of Spain, Portugal, Spain, Morocco then from the Strait of Gibraltar to Madeira and from there to La Graciosa (Lanzarote). Since then we stowed it away and will only use it again as soon as we reach dangerous waters in Europe. As soon as we left the port, the Whale-PAL was deployed and operated in accordance with instructions. Permanently. We regularly traveled between at four and eight knots - either under sail or, if the speed threatened to drop below four knots, under engine. We moved the PAL slightly from the amidships line to starboard so that the propeller had no disruptive influence. We noticed that the Whale-PAL's board, which was attached to the stainless steel line, tended, on the one hand, to rise to the surface of the water and then submerge again, and, on the other hand, to shear to starboard back and forth slightly from the amidships line.
I noticed that the use of the whale-PAL had a calming influence on the entire crew, allowing them to approach the orca issue more calmly. In my opinion, this was due both to your reputation as a developer and to the fact that it is more rational to use a potentially effective device (despite the lack of meaningful data on its effectiveness to date) than to simply rely on the famous whistle in the forest.
Our only encounter with orcas took place on July 26th, 2022 off northern Spain on the way from A Coruna to Corme between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. when we were at 4-5 Bft. from the N under full gear (mainsail, jib, cutter jib) within sight of the coast - but a few hundred meters seaward from a small flotilla of German yachts heading towards the Bay of Corme. After we anchored in the Bay, we were informed by the crew of the German yacht “Frechdachs” that a Hallberg-Rassy had been attacked and damaged by orcas outside the bay, near our yacht and that these orcas also attacked and damaged the steering gear of a catamaran that came to help. We were asked if we had heard of orcas in this region. (No, we hadn't), which was the reason why the above-mentioned German flotilla sailed close to land, while we chose the route far out to sea in deep water (supposedly particularly brave, effectively only because of the perfect sailing conditions this day). As a result, we had the whale PAL in use that day and the orcas did not attack and damage our boat off the Bay of Corme, but rather picked out two nearby yachts as victims, which, as far as we know, were not equipped with whale PALs.
We sailed on 4th June 2023 through Gib strait, following the Moroccan coastline. We had about 26kn of TWS from the E, and about 2.5m wave height. Whale-PAL deployed aft of SB hull trailing towards the centre of the catamaran. We sailed within the 20m depth contour except directly W of Cap Spartel where a fish farm is located between the coast line and 30m depth contour, forcing us to about 35m water depth. We saw on the GT Orcas App that no encounters had been recorded E of the Tangier - Tarifa ferry line so we tacked towards deeper water exactly as we passed the ferry. A few minutes later (perhaps 5 min), at about 45m depth, 4 orcas were spotted about 100 m away. I immediately slowed the boat speed from about 12kn to about 5kn. Before having time to tack towards the shore, the orcas were about 20m from the boat. But suddenly the first 2 of them seem to have become paralysed. They turned to their side, and drifted past the boat. One of them only about 2m away from the PS of the boat. The other about 5m away from the SB side of the boat. The exact same happened to the other 2 that followed a few meters behind the first 2 orcas. One of them I had to steer away from as to not hit it on the PS bow, the other about 10m away to SB. I then tacked towards the shore. When we had finished the tack, the orcas had dissipated. I kept the pinger deployed just passed Dalia Beach. There we pulled it in. It was functional but one of the 4 'fins' had broken off. As we then tacked towards Gibraltar our boat speed passed 15kn so the pinger would not have been of any help. I think that it should be better described that the whale-PAL will not have any effect if the boat speed is, lets say, more than 8kn (due to the sound propagation speed of water). And likewise that the boat speed should be, lets say, more than 2 kn (otherwise the pinger will fall straight down towards the sea floor).... I also think that you should include a meter of 5mm elastic rubber bungee cord as a 'shock' absorber in case the pinger touches any floating item. Also i think that catamarans should have 2 pingers, one deployed to each hull. Thank you for your great work - and most likely - prevent an orca attack onto our Outremer 5X performance catamaran.
My route in October was to Gibraltar to the end of the traffic separation area parallel to the coast and close to the coast (so stayed outside the VTG) westwards, then almost due south to Tangier. Later we continued relatively close to the coast with a stopover in Mohammedia (near Casablanca). We briefly spotted a shark fin off Tangier. The whale-PAL remained on board ready for use. If I saw an orca, I would have thrown him out immediately. On the further way to Lanzarote there were gill nets with and without flashing warning buoys that were sometimes kilometers long and many poorly visible fish traps, even up to 80 nm off the Moroccan coast. Of course, a pinger dragged behind would have been in great danger.
Our experiences with the Wal-PAL were very positive across the board. We stuck to the recommendation to drive on the 20 meter line as much as possible, but the Wal-PAL also gave us a good feeling. Even at 7 knots he maintained the depth of the rudder very well. One experience on our trip so far has stayed with us: Shortly before Cabo Espichel, one of the few stages where we couldn't keep to 20 meters, we had a strange phenomenon. It was already dusk and visibility was very poor when our depth gauge repeatedly counted up from almost a hundred meters to depths of 3 to 10 meters. At intervals of one to two minutes. After 3-4 times everything was back to normal. Shortly after our passage there were attacks by orcas in this same region. Could it be that we had an “encounter” that ended without an attack thanks to your whale PAL? ... (conceivable!) The tail unit of our Whale-PAL has disappeared, so we took another closer look at it. It seems like something “big” has bitten. Traces that almost look like bite marks (possibly a shark) can be seen on the white paravan and the swivel. Thank you again and we can only recommend that every sailor equip himself with one of your Whale-PALs.
We sailed for 3 days across the Bay of Biscay from Camaret Sur Mer to A Coruna with Whale-PAL. We spotted 3 orcas on our starboard side at a distance of 50 to 100 m for about 15 minutes, but then they turned away. Coincidence or Whale-PAL?
We have sailed with the PAL from Brest to Baiona and had the PAL in operation from around the middle of Biscay. Towing was no problem with the included towing board. At 5-7 knots it was stable under the water surface. We had orca contact with a group of 2 - 4 animals. We were traveling quite slowly at 3 knots and the animals were slowly coming towards us. An orca was right in front of our bow and I had to swerve hard to avoid hitting it. Another animal swam past our ship from front to back on the port side and turned away when it reached the stern.
We towed our Whale-PAL across the Bay of Biscay, along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts and from the mainland to Madeira. During our crossing of the Bay of Biscay we had visual contact with three orcas at a distance of about 50 m, but they were only moving slowly on the surface. On the coast we still adhered to the recommendation to stay below the 20m line if possible. However, we noticed that dolphins also stayed away from the boat when we had the PAL out. As soon as we sailed without it, they came to the boat and played with the bow. Coincidence? In general, we always felt relatively safe with the Whale-PAL.
We sailed under reefed mainsail from Gijon to A Coruna in strong winds (30-35 knots) with high waves. That's why I took out the PAL after a few hours because at the high boat speed (12 knots) it didn't stay under water permanently. I was afraid that it would tear off. Also, I didn't believe in orca action in these conditions. Right after the PAL was on deck we sighted some big dorsal fins 300 meters away. 1-2 minutes later two big orcas were right on the side of the ship. The PAL went overboard immediately. But only a few meters, because the steel cable was totally entangled. It took longer for us to get the full length over board. The mainsail was immediately pulled in and the autopilot turned off. We then ran under top and tackle with 2-3 knots. Due to all the excitement, hectic and work, my wife and I were not able to observe the orcas. It is unclear whether they moved on immediately or were still close to the yacht. The wave was too high for that (3-4 meters). However, when killer whales approach a yacht from a distance, it doesn't just happen without hindthought. They had plans. We think the PAL put them off. In any case, they were gone and our yacht was able to continue sailing unmolested. After that we towed the PAL to Gibraltar continuously at sea. We no longer had orca contact. All around us, however, yachts were repeatedly attacked and damaged. We felt relatively safe with the PAL . Dolphins have visited us several times and swam right past PAL . It's not at all certain that we'll give up or sell the PAL now. Somehow it already belongs to the yacht equipment. Who knows what the orcas will be like in the Mediterranean or elsewhere in the future.
The PAL transmitter was mounted slightly to the port side. An approx. 1.50 m long rope was attached to the steel cable in order to attach the PAL transmitter to the stern rail. Since the wind died down, we had salvaged the sails. The sails are not lowered when the ship is at a standstill. We have furling sails, in order to furl them correctly, the ship runs under engine and at a certain angle to the wind, so that the sail enters the insertion device on the mast cleanly, in order to avoid kinks in the sail. The recovery process for the jib is similar. We were always on the move - when salvaging at about 2 knots of speed. After the sails had been salvaged, we had about 5-6 knots of speed under engine About 15 minutes after the sails were recovered, the orca attack took place with 4-5 orcas. At the same time, two other ships were attacked at a distance of about 0.5 to 1.0 nm. The PAL transmitter was in the water, I was going backwards. I pulled the PAL up so that it almost swam up - but pointed downwards - so I did it right - the transmission cone pointed to the orcas - didn't help either. Sometimes two orcas were at the helm - probably a "new" orca was shown how to work a rudder - lesson for young orcas. I had a small bottle of diesel ready to be prepared in case of an emergency. But the orcas were not impressed by the diesel. The boat is still in Sines because it cannot be driven due to the damage to the rudder.
Our Jeanneau 57 is 18 m long and weights 23 tons. We were attacked by orcas June 26 near Tanger in 8 Bft wind at a speed of about 7 knots. The orcas seemingly were unimpressed by the whale-PAL. It is unclear if this was due to malfunction of the whale-PAL or battery failure.
Eight orcas attacked the boat and rudder for 2 hours. This resulted in a damage in the rudder mechanism (rudder chain slipped off) and the whales turned the boat repeatedly by 360 degrees. This caused the main sail to rip. The boat could still be steered using the emergency tiller. The boat is now in Tanger waiting for the crane. Inspection by diver showed that the rudder is damaged, but apparently repairable. The slipped rudder chain could be placed back.
To us, the whales were clearly attacking, repeatedly slapping the water surface with their tails. We had only one fire cracker on board, which resulted in the attack being interrupted for about 10-15 minutes. After that, it was resumed.
We sailed our boat Oyster 46 from Portimao (Atlantic) to Moraira (Med) at 4th of Jun. We used Whale-PAL all the way till we passed Gibraltar. No Orca contacts.
We had a very nice delivery from La Rochelle to Mediterranean sea without Orca interaction and a lot of dolphin visits. I thing that the PAL prevents interaction cause I realized that some pilot whales that we had on sight swam away when we reached close to them.
We have now sailed 3x through Gibraltar and once Biscay to Gibraltar. The device was towed behind our catamaran for several days in all kinds of sea conditions. I still have the 1.3mm fishing line with crimped connectors. However, I have attached a safety line made of fishing line wherever possible. I don't think you can lose the device that way. When not in use, all parts are rinsed with fresh water and all metal and aluminum parts (swivel and crimp) are sprayed with silicone grease. Everything looks like new.
Just last week we sailed through the middle of the orca hotspot south of Barbate, coming from the Azores to the Mediterranean Sea, through the channel at night. Other ships reported sightings in the immediate area, we haven't heard anything. In any case, the device conveys security. The dolphins don't let that stop them from visiting either.
We used the Whale PAL last year when we sailed our catamaran from the Netherlands to the Mediterranean. We used the PAL daily in the Bay of Biscay / North West Spain / Portugal / South West Spain and on the day we passed Gibraltar. We didn't see any killer whales, although almost every day a yacht was attacked by killer whales nearby.
Read on: Feedback analysis and background on orca attacks
Last year, I sailed from the Netherlands along the Atlantic coast, around the Iberian Peninsula to near Barcelona. I set off in August and arrived at the end of November. Starting in Boulogne-sur-Mer, I launched the Whale Pal as soon as we set sail and towed it behind us. I didn't launch the Whale Pal when we were motoring. We probably spotted young orcas twice, surfacing about 15-20 meters diagonally behind our boat (150° to the course). They then submerged and weren't seen again. The first time was in the Bay of Cadiz. Howeevr, an attack was reported nearby by orca.pt on October 18, 2024. We didn't experience a single contact with an orca during the entire trip. I was very happy to have the Whale Pal on board. I simply had less worries and was able to sail the courses I wanted in a relaxed manner. At the hotspot from Cabo Trafalgar (Barbate) through the Strait of Gibraltar, I naturally sailed close to the coast. Although I didn't meticulously follow the 20m depth line. The whale pal has always resurfaced completely unscathed.
I used the whale PAL permanently last year, from Brest across the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean. I had on July 8th. 2024, between Barbate and Tarifa, a sighting of a group of four orcas living there. Three were female and one was male. They approached my boat and I immediately changed course and went under engine, out of the 30 meter zone and into even shallower water. I can't say whether it was because of the whale PAL or the change of course, but the group only got within fifty meters of me and then let go and moved away.
Observed by a fellow sailor: "They deployed their pal when the orcas were already there and had their first contact with the boat. After that they stayed at a distance"
We passed Gibraltar safely a few days ago. We came from the Azores and sailed straight into the strait. We had no contact with the orcas and didn't see any. We had installed the PAL in good time about 40nm before the passage and only pulled it in about 30nm behind Gibraltar in the Mediterranean. A day later, exactly on our route near Tarifa, a sailboat sank due to an orca attack. We reported on the use on our channels. See here.
On monday 5 August on our way from Aberwrach to Cherbourg at 20:40 we had yet another encounter with 3 or 4 Orcas Position 49°13.123 N 003° 26.008 W. We were sailing in NE direction. They came from E > W. We had the Whale PAL in the water. One Orca came at 3 meters on starboard side. And was going right to rudder. Suddenly he blew a lot of air bubbles out. Was it because he had seen me? Or because he heard the Whale Pal? I don't know, but they left. I believe the Whale Pal did its job.
I sail a 50’ catamaran and we just passed the Gibraltar Strait without any issues. We had your two whale-PAL deployed during our trip along the south coast of Portugal until about 100 nm after Gibraltar. Of course we will never know whether we were simply lucky or that your pingers were an effective deterrent. However, at approximately the same date and location, another yacht was sunk by orcas (the guardian). Three points of feedback for your consideration: First, one of the pingers got activated while still in your bag, for reasons I do not understand. I took out the battery, and the beep disappeared. [The whale-PAL has a visible copper contact inside, which, when approached by a finger, water or a steel line, will activate the device. I suggest covering it with buble foam, as during delivery, when storing for longer time periods]. Secondly, I had appreciated if you had supplied a small musketon/hank ar the end of each (steel) cable to easily connect/disconnect it to the boat. [Our customers sail such a viariety of boaty, that we leave attachment details up to them]. Thirdly, I sail a 50’ catamaran, hence the deployment of two pingers. When I connected both pingers on the inner side of each hull, they proved to be too close to each other and got intertwined. I then connected each to the outer side of each hull and all was fine. Maybe recommend catamaran users to connect on the outer side of each hull.
We are sailing a Bavaria 42. From La Coruña south we towed 3 steel lines (3mm diameter, 10 m long) close to the surface to prevent whales from approaching from the aft.
On March 12, 24 we sailed south from Lisbon and rounded Cabo Sao Vicente. There is a bay near Sagres an hour to the southeast and we wanted to anchor there. We had the Whale-PAL in standby in the cockpit.
There is a bar in front of the entrance to the bay, it is around 25 meters deep. We wanted to lower the sails there and had already taken in the 3 tow lines. The PAL was still in the cockpit.
When we wanted to start lowering the sails, about 100 meters from the entrance to the bay, the killer whales attacked. Out of the blue, so to speak, we hadn't seen the animals before. They came diving straight towards the boat.
There was no previous play with the boat, surfacing or swimming along the boat. Wind and waves were moderate, wind around 10 knots, an old swell. We were heading towards land when the killer whales grabbed our rudder and turned the boat 180 degrees towards the sea.
After the rudder was free again, we immediately set off on opposite course, back towards the bay. I took the whale PAL out of the bag and put it in the water. Immediately afterwards the attack stopped.
We later learned that 2 other yachts had been attacked by killer whales in the same area. They weren't so lucky: the rudders were broken off on both yachts. Since then, we have continuously towed our Whale-PAL when sailing along the Iberian coast.
We are very happy to have the Whale- Pal. It's great that you not only developed this defense system against these useless attacks from killer whales, but also continue to refine it. The effectiveness of the device was very impressive for us and gives us the security we need on our further sailing trips in this area. Thanks for that.
I had the Wal-PAL in tow on the way from Lagos to Madeira in April. I didn't see any orcas on the way. In September I returned to Lagos from the Azores. I activated the whale PAL about 300 nm off the coast. I didn't see any orcas again. Since adding the tail unit and changing the front attachment (from v2) the PAL has been running very smoothly.
We used the Whale-PAL from northern Spain (A Coruna) on our way to the Canary Islands; along the coasts of Spain, Portugal, Spain, Morocco then from the Strait of Gibraltar to Madeira and from there to La Graciosa (Lanzarote). Since then we stowed it away and will only use it again as soon as we reach dangerous waters in Europe. As soon as we left the port, the Whale-PAL was deployed and operated in accordance with instructions. Permanently. We regularly traveled between at four and eight knots - either under sail or, if the speed threatened to drop below four knots, under engine. We moved the PAL slightly from the amidships line to starboard so that the propeller had no disruptive influence. We noticed that the Whale-PAL's board, which was attached to the stainless steel line, tended, on the one hand, to rise to the surface of the water and then submerge again, and, on the other hand, to shear to starboard back and forth slightly from the amidships line.
I noticed that the use of the whale-PAL had a calming influence on the entire crew, allowing them to approach the orca issue more calmly. In my opinion, this was due both to your reputation as a developer and to the fact that it is more rational to use a potentially effective device (despite the lack of meaningful data on its effectiveness to date) than to simply rely on the famous whistle in the forest.
Our only encounter with orcas took place on July 26th, 2022 off northern Spain on the way from A Coruna to Corme between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. when we were at 4-5 Bft. from the N under full gear (mainsail, jib, cutter jib) within sight of the coast - but a few hundred meters seaward from a small flotilla of German yachts heading towards the Bay of Corme. After we anchored in the Bay, we were informed by the crew of the German yacht “Frechdachs” that a Hallberg-Rassy had been attacked and damaged by orcas outside the bay, near our yacht and that these orcas also attacked and damaged the steering gear of a catamaran that came to help. We were asked if we had heard of orcas in this region. (No, we hadn't), which was the reason why the above-mentioned German flotilla sailed close to land, while we chose the route far out to sea in deep water (supposedly particularly brave, effectively only because of the perfect sailing conditions this day). As a result, we had the whale PAL in use that day and the orcas did not attack and damage our boat off the Bay of Corme, but rather picked out two nearby yachts as victims, which, as far as we know, were not equipped with whale PALs.
We sailed on 4th June 2023 through Gib strait, following the Moroccan coastline. We had about 26kn of TWS from the E, and about 2.5m wave height. Whale-PAL deployed aft of SB hull trailing towards the centre of the catamaran. We sailed within the 20m depth contour except directly W of Cap Spartel where a fish farm is located between the coast line and 30m depth contour, forcing us to about 35m water depth. We saw on the GT Orcas App that no encounters had been recorded E of the Tangier - Tarifa ferry line so we tacked towards deeper water exactly as we passed the ferry. A few minutes later (perhaps 5 min), at about 45m depth, 4 orcas were spotted about 100 m away. I immediately slowed the boat speed from about 12kn to about 5kn. Before having time to tack towards the shore, the orcas were about 20m from the boat. But suddenly the first 2 of them seem to have become paralysed. They turned to their side, and drifted past the boat. One of them only about 2m away from the PS of the boat. The other about 5m away from the SB side of the boat. The exact same happened to the other 2 that followed a few meters behind the first 2 orcas. One of them I had to steer away from as to not hit it on the PS bow, the other about 10m away to SB. I then tacked towards the shore. When we had finished the tack, the orcas had dissipated. I kept the pinger deployed just passed Dalia Beach. There we pulled it in. It was functional but one of the 4 'fins' had broken off. As we then tacked towards Gibraltar our boat speed passed 15kn so the pinger would not have been of any help. I think that it should be better described that the whale-PAL will not have any effect if the boat speed is, lets say, more than 8kn (due to the sound propagation speed of water). And likewise that the boat speed should be, lets say, more than 2 kn (otherwise the pinger will fall straight down towards the sea floor).... I also think that you should include a meter of 5mm elastic rubber bungee cord as a 'shock' absorber in case the pinger touches any floating item. Also i think that catamarans should have 2 pingers, one deployed to each hull. Thank you for your great work - and most likely - prevent an orca attack onto our Outremer 5X performance catamaran.
My route in October was to Gibraltar to the end of the traffic separation area parallel to the coast and close to the coast (so stayed outside the VTG) westwards, then almost due south to Tangier. Later we continued relatively close to the coast with a stopover in Mohammedia (near Casablanca). We briefly spotted a shark fin off Tangier. The whale-PAL remained on board ready for use. If I saw an orca, I would have thrown him out immediately. On the further way to Lanzarote there were gill nets with and without flashing warning buoys that were sometimes kilometers long and many poorly visible fish traps, even up to 80 nm off the Moroccan coast. Of course, a pinger dragged behind would have been in great danger.
Our experiences with the Wal-PAL were very positive across the board. We stuck to the recommendation to drive on the 20 meter line as much as possible, but the Wal-PAL also gave us a good feeling. Even at 7 knots he maintained the depth of the rudder very well. One experience on our trip so far has stayed with us: Shortly before Cabo Espichel, one of the few stages where we couldn't keep to 20 meters, we had a strange phenomenon. It was already dusk and visibility was very poor when our depth gauge repeatedly counted up from almost a hundred meters to depths of 3 to 10 meters. At intervals of one to two minutes. After 3-4 times everything was back to normal. Shortly after our passage there were attacks by orcas in this same region. Could it be that we had an “encounter” that ended without an attack thanks to your whale PAL? ... (conceivable!) The tail unit of our Whale-PAL has disappeared, so we took another closer look at it. It seems like something “big” has bitten. Traces that almost look like bite marks (possibly a shark) can be seen on the white paravan and the swivel. Thank you again and we can only recommend that every sailor equip himself with one of your Whale-PALs.
We sailed for 3 days across the Bay of Biscay from Camaret Sur Mer to A Coruna with Whale-PAL. We spotted 3 orcas on our starboard side at a distance of 50 to 100 m for about 15 minutes, but then they turned away. Coincidence or Whale-PAL?
We have sailed with the PAL from Brest to Baiona and had the PAL in operation from around the middle of Biscay. Towing was no problem with the included towing board. At 5-7 knots it was stable under the water surface. We had orca contact with a group of 2 - 4 animals. We were traveling quite slowly at 3 knots and the animals were slowly coming towards us. An orca was right in front of our bow and I had to swerve hard to avoid hitting it. Another animal swam past our ship from front to back on the port side and turned away when it reached the stern.
We towed our Whale-PAL across the Bay of Biscay, along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts and from the mainland to Madeira. During our crossing of the Bay of Biscay we had visual contact with three orcas at a distance of about 50 m, but they were only moving slowly on the surface. On the coast we still adhered to the recommendation to stay below the 20m line if possible. However, we noticed that dolphins also stayed away from the boat when we had the PAL out. As soon as we sailed without it, they came to the boat and played with the bow. Coincidence? In general, we always felt relatively safe with the Whale-PAL.
We sailed under reefed mainsail from Gijon to A Coruna in strong winds (30-35 knots) with high waves. That's why I took out the PAL after a few hours because at the high boat speed (12 knots) it didn't stay under water permanently. I was afraid that it would tear off. Also, I didn't believe in orca action in these conditions. Right after the PAL was on deck we sighted some big dorsal fins 300 meters away. 1-2 minutes later two big orcas were right on the side of the ship. The PAL went overboard immediately. But only a few meters, because the steel cable was totally entangled. It took longer for us to get the full length over board. The mainsail was immediately pulled in and the autopilot turned off. We then ran under top and tackle with 2-3 knots. Due to all the excitement, hectic and work, my wife and I were not able to observe the orcas. It is unclear whether they moved on immediately or were still close to the yacht. The wave was too high for that (3-4 meters). However, when killer whales approach a yacht from a distance, it doesn't just happen without hindthought. They had plans. We think the PAL put them off. In any case, they were gone and our yacht was able to continue sailing unmolested. After that we towed the PAL to Gibraltar continuously at sea. We no longer had orca contact. All around us, however, yachts were repeatedly attacked and damaged. We felt relatively safe with the PAL . Dolphins have visited us several times and swam right past PAL . It's not at all certain that we'll give up or sell the PAL now. Somehow it already belongs to the yacht equipment. Who knows what the orcas will be like in the Mediterranean or elsewhere in the future.
The PAL transmitter was mounted slightly to the port side. An approx. 1.50 m long rope was attached to the steel cable in order to attach the PAL transmitter to the stern rail. Since the wind died down, we had salvaged the sails. The sails are not lowered when the ship is at a standstill. We have furling sails, in order to furl them correctly, the ship runs under engine and at a certain angle to the wind, so that the sail enters the insertion device on the mast cleanly, in order to avoid kinks in the sail. The recovery process for the jib is similar. We were always on the move - when salvaging at about 2 knots of speed. After the sails had been salvaged, we had about 5-6 knots of speed under engine About 15 minutes after the sails were recovered, the orca attack took place with 4-5 orcas. At the same time, two other ships were attacked at a distance of about 0.5 to 1.0 nm. The PAL transmitter was in the water, I was going backwards. I pulled the PAL up so that it almost swam up - but pointed downwards - so I did it right - the transmission cone pointed to the orcas - didn't help either. Sometimes two orcas were at the helm - probably a "new" orca was shown how to work a rudder - lesson for young orcas. I had a small bottle of diesel ready to be prepared in case of an emergency. But the orcas were not impressed by the diesel. The boat is still in Sines because it cannot be driven due to the damage to the rudder.
Our Jeanneau 57 is 18 m long and weights 23 tons. We were attacked by orcas June 26 near Tanger in 8 Bft wind at a speed of about 7 knots. The orcas seemingly were unimpressed by the whale-PAL. It is unclear if this was due to malfunction of the whale-PAL or battery failure.
Eight orcas attacked the boat and rudder for 2 hours. This resulted in a damage in the rudder mechanism (rudder chain slipped off) and the whales turned the boat repeatedly by 360 degrees. This caused the main sail to rip. The boat could still be steered using the emergency tiller. The boat is now in Tanger waiting for the crane. Inspection by diver showed that the rudder is damaged, but apparently repairable. The slipped rudder chain could be placed back.
To us, the whales were clearly attacking, repeatedly slapping the water surface with their tails. We had only one fire cracker on board, which resulted in the attack being interrupted for about 10-15 minutes. After that, it was resumed.
We sailed our boat Oyster 46 from Portimao (Atlantic) to Moraira (Med) at 4th of Jun. We used Whale-PAL all the way till we passed Gibraltar. No Orca contacts.
We had a very nice delivery from La Rochelle to Mediterranean sea without Orca interaction and a lot of dolphin visits. I thing that the PAL prevents interaction cause I realized that some pilot whales that we had on sight swam away when we reached close to them.
We have now sailed 3x through Gibraltar and once Biscay to Gibraltar. The device was towed behind our catamaran for several days in all kinds of sea conditions. I still have the 1.3mm fishing line with crimped connectors. However, I have attached a safety line made of fishing line wherever possible. I don't think you can lose the device that way. When not in use, all parts are rinsed with fresh water and all metal and aluminum parts (swivel and crimp) are sprayed with silicone grease. Everything looks like new.
Just last week we sailed through the middle of the orca hotspot south of Barbate, coming from the Azores to the Mediterranean Sea, through the channel at night. Other ships reported sightings in the immediate area, we haven't heard anything. In any case, the device conveys security. The dolphins don't let that stop them from visiting either.
We used the Whale PAL last year when we sailed our catamaran from the Netherlands to the Mediterranean. We used the PAL daily in the Bay of Biscay / North West Spain / Portugal / South West Spain and on the day we passed Gibraltar. We didn't see any killer whales, although almost every day a yacht was attacked by killer whales nearby.
