The boys were back today as we watched yet another intense Humpback Whale competition pod unfold in front of our eyes. They came racing from Rottnest Island as the female led the stampede across the Indian Ocean and up to 17 males were chasing her. The speed was phenomenal as the males did all they could to keep up with the main group of twelve being closely followed by five other males. Suddenly, we had joined the pod as one cheeky male surfaced directly in front of our bow and “snaked” towards us in a dominant display. What he was trying to say to us was that we didn’t stand a chance, this was his girl! It is always a remarkable moment when The Language of the Whales is communicated to us and we know that this whale was treating us just like another male and making sure he was in front. The competition continued to charge along as we watched in amazement and what a special place we live in to have the Perth skyline as a backdrop to this wonderful wild display!
A unique experience to view this type of energy during the southern migration further south along our coastline, understanding just how depleted of fat reserves these males must be. The mothers and calves certainly weren’t letting the competition pod steal all of the attention and as they carefully tip toed out of the area one of the young calves decided some breaching was in order and launched skywards just meters away from our bow. Seeming to be feeding off of the energy of the nearby males this young calf was expressing his excitement but at the same time also protecting his mum.. aka his milk bar. A very young Hammerhead Shark was another highlight of a remarkable day whale watching as he nervously skimmed the surface and seemed so tiny in comparison to the water and whales surrounding him. Humpback Whale competition pod watching is always brilliantly exciting and a special opportunity today to sight this spectacular interaction as we were surrounded by competitive males everywhere we looked sprinting at full pace although they haven’t eaten since April!
