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It was yet another historical day for the Whale Watch Western Australia pod as we were witness to the first ever observed Fin Whale predation by Orca in Australia. The area in which the Fin Whale was attacked is the closest hunt ever witnessed to the coastline as we found ourselves under 4 mile from Bremer Bay. Today began like an other day, arriving in The Patch we were welcomed warmly by members of Queen, Cookie and Cooee’s family pods as they were all socialising and mingling together enthusiastically.
Spy hops, wrestling and surfing the swell towards us was observed as the youngsters joined in with the fun and it was great to see them all having such a wonderful time. The energy shifted within a heartbeat as suddenly the ocean exploded as Orca surged with so much power and intensity as the adults rocketed towards us and collected their calves.
It was clear there had been a call as all Orca within the vicinity were absolutely flying, it was an urgent need to move towards the shelf and now that the mother Orca had their babies with them it was time to go. As far as the eye could see white water and the flash of black and white could be seen with the Orca quickly covering ground. Looking ahead of them there was no clear sign of prey moving away urgently, it was quiet and we knew that whatever they were pursuing was likely to be a baleen whale. It was the most unusual and remarkable day for our team onboard, after a decade of travelling with the Bremer Bay Orca they have never ventured this far towards the coastline before when we have been travelling with them.
Queen had led the charge and was backed up by Cooee and Cookie as they followed her closely, travelling at speeds over over 40 kilometres per hour we found ourselves rocketing towards the coastline. The township of Bremer Bay was now insight along with Glasse Island and after having travelled over thirty kilometres the Orca had finally closed in on what they had heard all that distance away. To our great sadness we could see it was a yearling Fin Whale who would have recently separated from its mother and had found itself alone along the coast. Its mistake was calling too loudly for other Fin Whales as it travelled past this stretch of coastline. Matriarch Queen heard the calls and knew she had the number of Orca families she needed to make this a successful hunt and commit to a massive swim and energy burn all the way towards Bremer Bay.
Watching on we observed the Orca family members group up around the young Fin Whale as they surrounded the youngster to prevent it from diving or evading them by moving even closer to the coastline. Fin Whales are regarded as the fastest mammal in the sea, but such a young individual is not experienced in escaping so many apex predators and seemed to be in shock with the situation that was unfolding. It had only been calling out a short time ago and inadvertently directed the Orca to its exact location with each vocalisation, why this youngster made such a fatal error is uncertain but young animals make mistakes that they can escape and learn from but sadly that was not the case today.
Lucky and her family had now arrived and there were over 65 Orca involved in this hunt and the likelihood of escape for this now injured yearling Fin Whale was unlikely. Queen tried to roll the Fin Whale onto its back in an attempt to drown the individual to end the hunt quickly, but it was powerful and large with a length of approximately 11 meters. Controlling such a large animal is not easy so Queen decided to try and use our vessel just as she did with the Blue Whale hunt back in Season 2021, herding the Fin Whale directly towards us. Drifting and holding our breath, we watched as the family pushed the Fin Whale towards us and then dived underneath before all surfaced on the other side, it was astounding to witness but also upsetting to see this poor young Fin Whale in such a desperate situation.
The Orca continued to herd and push the Fin Whale in attempt to control its movement and we could see the young whale becoming disorientated, losing strength and slowing down quickly. The final push occurred as the Orca all piled onto the Fin Whale in an attempt to access the lips and tongue which they were successful in doing. The passing of this beautiful whale was very hard to watch, the Orca had succeeded and the hunt was now over. The sky was thick with Shearwaters and Albatross who frantically threw themselves at every scrap of food they could find as the Orca now began to feed, members of Queen’s pod appeared to have first access to the prized tongue before the call went out and all other family pods involved in the hunt now charged in to feed.
It was nature at is most pure and confronting as we found ourselves watching this scene unfold today with Bremer Bay clearly just in the background, a sight we have never witnessed before being so close to the town that these Orca are named after. It is the first documented successful perdition of a Fin Whale in Australian waters by Orca and although we witnessed our first Fin Whale last year escape the Orca, that individual was a much larger and more experienced adult.
Likely having recently separated from its mother, this inexperienced yearling Fin Whale seemed to have been calling out for company on its journey past Bremer Bay. Incredibly, Queen and her family heard these calls from many kilometres away and decided to charge towards the area. The young Fin Whale did not seem to realise the approach of the Orca as there was no chase or commotion when the Orca finally reached the Fin Whale. It was instantly surrounded by Orca and the numbers only grew as those trailing behind arrived on scene and at that time the hunt was secured by our oceans apex predators. During the hunt this young whale seemed to be in shock and did not know how to handle the situation, allowing the Orca to take control and complete the hunt as quickly as possible.
We stayed with the Orca as they began to feed and document the process after the hunt which was truely amazing to witness with so many Orca and birds feeding excitedly. The calls amongst the Orca we were able to document were most amazing, echoing out through the area and creating an eerie feeling. Watching each Orca carrying mouthfuls of meat and sharing amongst the family reflected the importance of this meal for all who were involved.
Our hearts were broken for this poor Fin Whale who was an absolutely beautiful individual and a picture of health. To see a Fin Whale is very rare in Australian waters as their migratory paths and movements are not well known. It is important to remember that the sacrifice of this one whale will nourish countless other creatures within this ecosystem as nothing goes to waste. Still, it is always difficult to observe these hunts and as spectacular as they are to witness and the energy that surrounds such events, we still respect and love the prey that these Orca decide to pursue as part of their diet.
Our journey back home was unusually short as we were so close to Bremer Bay and still astounded by the fact this hunt took place less than 4 mile from the coastline (most hunts are at least 19+ mile). Today was a truely historical and momentous day, one we will never forget and will continue to reflect on for a long time to come. Lessons learnt from today will help further our understanding of the Orca and their extraordinary capabilities. Queen has shown today that if she can hear you, she will be able to find you which is an unsettling thought for any prey moving through the area. Our family and team continue to be awestruck by these incredible predators who today showed their strong connection to Bremer Bay, their home and hunting ground.
