Weekday Whale Watching is always fun as the Humpback Whales have the sighting grounds to themselves and today multiple pods converged for a big conversation filled with fluke action. A total of twelve Humpbacks had moved towards Rottnest Island and as they all closed in on the same area the Language of the Whales started to unfold. Tail lobs, inverted tail slaps and excited trumpeting could be seen and heard as the pods communicated towards each other. Overnight there has been a large increase in the number of whales arriving in the sighting grounds with some pods resting, others travelling and the many surrounding us busily communicating and socialising together. It was very exciting to be amongst all fun as these large adults seemed to enjoy the opportunity to interact.
Approaching us curiously, two of the individuals were cheeky and causing some trouble as each pod they approached responded with tail lobs and tail slapping. Asserting dominance is a big part of these conversations as the many whales establish their place amongst the interaction and conversation. All whale looked well and although thin, they certainly had a lot of energy! It is easy to forget when these Humpback Whales are so active that they are not feeding during this epic migration and instead relying on their fat reserves to sustain them on these long journeys. That is why they must be careful when deciding how much energy expenditure they use when socialising with other whales, especially towards the end of their migration. Today they were more than happy to continue the conversation and we enjoyed the opportunity to watch this wonderful display of the tail lob and tail slap.
