Blue Whale Watching Tours during late April is a special time for these visiting giants as they enjoy stopping in to the Perth Canyon for feeding and courtship opportunities. Today we enjoyed the company of two Blue Whales and a few hundred very charismatic dolphins! Arriving in the sighting grounds our first Blue Whale observed was a young adult who was travelling through the area. Covering ground efficiently we joined with this Blue but noticed a commotion heading our way up on the horizon. Hundreds of offshore Bottlenose Dolphins along with a few Striped Dolphins were heading straight for us and it only took a few minutes before we were completely surrounded. Breaching, head lunging and porpoising erupted as the excitement levels grew and they raced over to say hello not only to us but also approached the young Blue Whale. All that energy and enthusiasm was brilliant to see as they showed off their acrobatic skills and played for a very long time around our vessel leaping so high on many occasions.
One particular individual was unique and missing most of its dorsal fin, very similar to Lucky and Warnie the Bremer Bay Orca. It was much fun to enjoy the company of these beautiful Dolphins as watch them having such a good time as they chased after each other and enjoyed the thrill of some bow riding. The plentiful krill in the region will also bring in squid and fish which these Dolphins just love to consume and it was clear to see from the energy they had today the feeding had been going well! Our second Blue Whale for the day was a very large adult and likely a female due to her larger size, males tend to be slightly smaller when fully grown. Cruising along she was relaxed and was focused on finding krill as we watched a few exploratory foraging dives before she would move on to the next destination. A tail dive is always beautiful to witness and showcases the strength and beauty of these incredible whales, the largest creature on our planet and an absolute privilege to be in their presence.
