Welcome to Cruise Talk the Internet's most popular discussion forum dedicated to cruising. Stop by Cruise Talk anytime to post a message or find out what your fellow passengers and industry insiders are saying about a particular ship, cruise line or destination.
>>> Reader Reviews >>> CruisePage.com Photo Gallery >>> Join Our Cruise Club.
Latest News...Holland America Line will expand its presence in Europe with year-round operations for the first time, introducing a winter and early-spring program for the 2027–2028 season. The move positions the line to offer a broader range of itineraries beyond the traditional summer months, with Nieuw Statendam remaining in Europe throughout the winter and Zuiderdam adding two additional seasonal voyages...
Latest News...Princess Cruises has outlined its most extensive Europe program to date, announcing 291 departures across 150 itineraries for the 2028 season. Six ships will operate throughout Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and on transatlantic routes, marking the line’s largest-ever deployment in the region. The 2028 program, now open for booking, spans voyages from seven to 53 days and includes...
Latest News...Carnival Cruise Line has completed a major expansion of RelaxAway, its exclusive destination on Half Moon Cay, adding new beachfront space, upgraded amenities and improved access for guests. The enhancements were formally marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony as the line prepares to bring more ships to the private island. The project includes an extended stretch of white-sand beach, additional complimentary...
quote:High-speed ferry service foiled by whale collisionsMarch 27, 2006NAGASAKI, -- High-speed hydrofoil ships ferrying passengers between Fukuoka and Busan, South Korea are increasingly running into whales near the Tsushima Strait -- a problem some fear will put them out of business.The operators of the ships are trying to pinpoint the exact cause of the accidents, but some experts say they may be unavoidable.Some say the collisions are caused when whales rapidly surface from deep water; others say females raising calves can't avoid the fast-moving ships.The international ferry service is jointly run by Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) and South Korea's Miraejet Co. The companies make five round trips a day. "Jetfoil" boats have hydrofoils mounted in the front and back that allow them to skim the waves at more than 80 kph as their hulls float 2 meters above the surface.According to JR Kyushu, there have been six collisions involving jetfoils since December 2004 -- four this year alone. In South Korea, about 30 people were injured when the Kobee, a high-speed boat, was apparently hit by a whale.Tsutomu Tamura, head of the Ecosystem Section at the Institute of Cetacean Research, said beaked whales feed deep in the sea and may have failed to dodge the boats when they came to the surface for air.Akira Takemura, a professor at the Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, said the frequency of collisions in the spring is something the companies should pay attention to."Spring is the time when humpback whales that have raised their calves in waters near Okinawa and Taiwan travel north through the Tsushima Strait," he said. "It is possible that humpback whales traveling with calves, which move relatively slowly, may have collided with the boats." The Japan Times / Kyodo
NAGASAKI, -- High-speed hydrofoil ships ferrying passengers between Fukuoka and Busan, South Korea are increasingly running into whales near the Tsushima Strait -- a problem some fear will put them out of business.
The operators of the ships are trying to pinpoint the exact cause of the accidents, but some experts say they may be unavoidable.
Some say the collisions are caused when whales rapidly surface from deep water; others say females raising calves can't avoid the fast-moving ships.
The international ferry service is jointly run by Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) and South Korea's Miraejet Co. The companies make five round trips a day.
"Jetfoil" boats have hydrofoils mounted in the front and back that allow them to skim the waves at more than 80 kph as their hulls float 2 meters above the surface.
According to JR Kyushu, there have been six collisions involving jetfoils since December 2004 -- four this year alone.
In South Korea, about 30 people were injured when the Kobee, a high-speed boat, was apparently hit by a whale.
Tsutomu Tamura, head of the Ecosystem Section at the Institute of Cetacean Research, said beaked whales feed deep in the sea and may have failed to dodge the boats when they came to the surface for air.
Akira Takemura, a professor at the Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, said the frequency of collisions in the spring is something the companies should pay attention to.
"Spring is the time when humpback whales that have raised their calves in waters near Okinawa and Taiwan travel north through the Tsushima Strait," he said. "It is possible that humpback whales traveling with calves, which move relatively slowly, may have collided with the boats."
The Japan Times / Kyodo
See also:
Japanese jet ferry hits whale, 11 passengers hurt
Ferry again hits whale off Kyushu
******
Cheers
Ultimate Bulletin BoardTM 6.1.0.3
More Vacation & Cruise Specials...