Have you ever met a whale that made you smile back at them? A beautiful young female Southern Right Whale certainly did as she spy hoped close to our vessel and it very much looked like she was smiling at us and in return we smiled back. She seemed very happy to see us and was showing off lifting her fluke high above the surface and tail sailing before rolling over and showing us her big belly. This young female (whom we named Cindy) looks to be helping one of the mother and calf pairs as an aunty and seemed very pleased to have a quick break from her duties and spend some time playing with us!
Our two mother and calf pairs we are getting to know very well have been allowing their calves more and more playtime with their friends as they have gotten older. Play involves a lot of twisting and turning with mums often right in the mix getting climbed all over by the calves, it is very entertaining to watch! This important socialisation will allow calves to practice their Southern Right Whale behaviours and get better at moving their ever changing bodies and increasing their coordination.
