{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/662a55e41967a000124c49eb/699db00a483a1215920a792d?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Whales Are Fighting Back — And We Might Deserve It","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/662a55e41967a000124c49eb/1771941732320-3d598171-6c26-4bd4-a497-c2b633974349.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Ep50: Ted Lund</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of&nbsp;<em>Deck Tales</em>, Captain Sammy Catling sits down with veteran captain, journalist, and whale-watching guide&nbsp;<strong>Ted Lund</strong>, broadcasting from Juneau, Alaska at the height of whale season. What begins as a conversation about humpback whales quickly expands into a wide-ranging, eye-opening discussion on marine conservation, cruise ship impacts, whale behavior, and life lived almost entirely at sea.</p><p>Ted shares firsthand stories—from whales struck by ships and learned orca “revenge” behavior, to bubble-net feeding spectacles, cruise ship pollution, and near-death experiences offshore. Blending hard science, lived experience, and dark humour, this episode challenges how we think about tourism, progress, and our responsibility to the ocean.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2>🌊 Key Takeaways</h2><ul><li><strong>Whales learn and teach behavior</strong>: Orca attacks on boats may be a learned, generational response to vessel strikes killing pod matriarchs.</li><li><strong>Cruise ships have hidden costs</strong>: From whale fatalities to coral damage, sediment plumes, invasive species, and infrastructure strain, the impacts go far beyond tourism dollars.</li><li><strong>Whale watching is booming—maybe too much</strong>: Alaska’s whale populations have rebounded, but overcrowding is pushing regulators toward caps and permits.</li><li><strong>The ocean remembers everything</strong>: Plastics, pharmaceuticals, and wastewater don’t disappear—they bioaccumulate and disrupt entire ecosystems.</li><li><strong>Experience matters</strong>: Ted’s unique mix of journalism and seamanship offers a rare, unfiltered look at how environmental decisions play out on the water.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>#whalewatching #flyfishing #whaling #orca </p>","author_name":"Sam Catling - Sea Life Story Teller"}