ANZAC Day 2026 with the Blue Whales was something very special, a day to honour our heroes and enjoy the freedom they gifted to us with their sacrifice. It was a beautiful morning with a clear sky as the dawn broke and hardly a breeze ruffled the waters surface as we departed the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour. A brief glimpse of two Humpback Whales was our first sighting as they quietly migrated towards the north. It is not unusual for these early travellers to have a more reserved profile and this will change as more Humpback Whales arrive along our coastline and build the confidence levels of the juveniles who arrived before the more experienced adults.
Continuing onwards towards the Perth Canyon we observed a gathering of four Blue Whales as blows surrounded us, a very exciting moment to be surrounded by four of our oceans largest giants! The first individual was a youngster and although relaxed was on a mission to move away from the other, large adult Blue Whales nearby. A way off in the distance we could see some commotion as two Blue Whales were pursuing each other and pushing white water. It was fast and we could see a few hundred meters away from them a third Blue Whale on the move and it appeared we had a courtship display underway. It was clear to see why the younger whale had been moving away from the commotion, we often observe juvenile Humpback Whales also moving away from adult competition pods and it is fascinating to see that perhaps the Blue Whale juveniles act in a similar way.
The two moved off quickly and left the third remaining adult who slowed after what appeared to have been a busy morning for him. It provided a great opportunity to capture some images of this beautiful Blue Whale as we continue to document all the individuals we meet throughout our season. It was also a fantastic opportunity to see the Centre for Whale Research team out on the water today and undertaking their research work. Our beautiful Blue was a very good candidate and was moving at a steady pace enabling a slightly easier process of tracking with the drone but as with any research it has many challenges and hurdles to overcome! Learning about these Blue Whales is vitally important to monitoring the health of this population and better understanding one of the most elusive mammal species on our planet.
A very beautiful day out on the water and in honour of all our ANZAC heroes both past and currently serving, we thank you for gifting us the magnificent freedom we enjoy in this great country, our home Australia.
They shall grow not old that we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them no the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We Will Remember Them
Lest We Forget
