Four Southern Ocean Dolphin species were observed today as we enjoyed the marvellous company of Orca, Pilot Whales, False Killer Whales, Offshore Bottlenose Dolphins and a slightly out of place but completely at home Fur Seal! A heavy fog had settled along the coastline this morning and you could barely see the outline of our vessel Steep Point in the Bremer Bay Boat Harbour making for a unique sight. It was set to clear and as we moved away from the coastline there was an opening in the fog as a big blue sky day greeted us for the journey out towards The Patch. Tufts of white water first capture our attention and it was soon clear we had a major gathering of cetaceans up ahead. All together we observed close on one thousand individuals as far as the eye could see including Pilot Whales, Offshore Bottlenose Dolphins, False Killer Whales and one cheeky Fur Seal! It was a spectacular scene as the Pilot Whales surrounded us and travelled as one towards the Bottlenose Dolphins and False Killer Whales who were travelling together. A few tail slaps from both sides was observed as they all shuffled to find their preferred spot and with the scattered oil slicks and Shearwaters squabbling over food scraps it was clear to see they had been enjoying a descent meal in the area.
The most interesting interaction today was with a Fur Seal who was travelling and socialising with the Dolphins as he swam with them gracefully. Fur Seals have been observed previously travelling with these species but it always makes us laugh to see how they mimic what the Dolphins are doing and he even joined in on a game of chase at one point as well. Wishing them all a fun day ahead we moved out to continue our search for the Orca and only a short distance away they appeared, Cookie and her family steadily heading west. Cooee and her pod members were also travelling with them which has become the norm this season as they all cruised together. A beautiful sight to see in the calm conditions as they made good ground with consistent surface time. Poppy was in a playful mood in the afternoon as she wrestled with her mum before turning her attention towards us as she raced towards the bow. Wiggling her way around in circles she was enjoying her game of zoomies and it has been very special watching her confidence grow each and everyday since early January when we met Poppy for the very first time. Wishing them well for their afternoon ahead after a big and busy day out on the southern ocean we enjoyed a lovely cruise back towards the coastline and watched the late afternoon sun turn everything to gold.
