I had a similar experience on the ferry to Alaska last week (excellent experience, I'm eager to travel on it again.) Incidentally, I think those ascribing mali

I had a similar experience on the ferry to Alaska last week (excellent experience, I'm eager to travel on it again.) Incidentally, I think those ascribing malice or depraved indifference to the captains of these ships are misguided and being very cynical. People generally love whales, and from what I've seen, people who work on the water love them more than most. Given the opportunity to avoid hurting a whale, I'm quite sure most would eagerly take it. It is however a matter of risk tolerance. E.g. a warning that a certain route gives you a 1% chance of hitting a whale will likely be treated differently from a warning that a route has a 50% chance of hitting a whale. The world is never black and white and to a certain extent, we all tolerate some amount of risk.