A baby Blue Whale was sighted today in an incredibly rare sighting as the newborn was no more than a few days old! It was another stunning day as we made our way out towards the sighting grounds and as we cruised past Rottnest Island enjoying the view Jade sighted a tall blow just ahead. It was a very exciting start to the morning as we were outside of the main Blue Whale feeding grounds and were very interested to confirm what species of whale had just surfaced. A few minutes later it was clear as the slinky, mottled grey of a Blue Whale appeared and right alongside her was the tiniest little shadow, a newborn Blue Whale calf! We couldn’t believe our eyes, this is our ninth Blue Whale season and our very first ever observation of such a young Blue Whale calf. The little one was absolutely precious and surfaced alongside mum as they gently travelled past Rottnest Island and amongst the excitement of these first few surfacing’s we also had a Manta Ray move past our bow before an Octopus moved by, what an incredible day it was turning into.
It was very clear to see why this mother Blue Whale had taken a slightly different approach to the feeding grounds as she has hugged the coastline in a protective decision to keep her calf away from possible Orca threats as they travel along the coast. It was an extraordinary interaction as we built a trust with the mother whale who began to allow her calf to feed as she came to a complete stop which is something a Blue Whale very rarely does. During that time she drifted at the surface and while she was logging her tiny baby shuffled towards her lower belly and disappeared before resurfacing a short time later. Feeding was observed four times as we travelled with them and were amazed at just how peaceful the mother whale was and incredible trust she was showing. Pygmy Blue Whales will typically calve in the northern waters of Western Australia or within the Banda Sea, to see such a young calf this far south is incredibly rare and a once in a lifetime sighting for all onboard today.
Little is known about the breeding and calving season of our Blue Whales with much yet to learn but just like our other baleen whales observed in Western Australia the adults seek the warm, sheltered waters for breeding and calving purposes over the winter and spring months here in Australia. A young calf this far south is very rare as generally the mums will welcome their calves much further north than this location. It was great to see both mum and calf looking in fantastic health and moving strongly, just like our Humpback Whales sometimes we will observe newborns outside of their usual range as the population grows in size. Each female is unique and will have preferences of where they will calve and as this female was well over twenty meters long it is likely that this isn’t her first calf with her confidence and peacefulness indicating a mature whale.
Hopefully this mother whale will enjoy a few weeks here in the Perth Canyon feasting on krill and nurturing her baby before it is time to continue northbound to the Banda Sea. Today we were completely blown away with the intimate interaction between mother and calf as we watched her nurse, nurture and affectionately guide her new baby towards the head of the Perth Canyon. Instead of focusing on migration or feeding she was completely dedicated to her calf and it was very touching to witness this behaviour and be welcomed into their world for a while today, we felt very blessed indeed. After the loss of such a beautiful yearling Blue Whale at the end of our Orca season this year we have certainly been heavy hearted. The sighting today of this brand new calf filled our hearts with great joy and hope, a precious new life and member of an endangered population who all mean so much to so many. This new little bub has been nicknamed Hope as that is exactly what we all feel today as we watched this darling newborn happy and healthy, a new life that creates hope for the future of the Perth Canyon Blue Whales.
