The Bremer Canyon Orca Experience is an incredible journey to a very special place in the world where the apex predator of the ocean hunts and socialises in record numbers. Our journey began this morning with Cookie and her pod as El Notcho was not sighted as the females travelled with their calves back towards the Patch and were enjoying a meal on the run as particles of food were left on the surface for the Shearwaters and Albatross to compete for. A change of direction and we began to move back towards where we had left off this morning with pace, just up ahead breaching and fluke slapping had started and a unique moment in Orca behaviour was about to unfold. Arriving we were completely surrounded by two seperate pods and 30+ Orca as they socialised with fluke slapping, pec slapping and approached our vessel curiously. The fresh scent of squid on the surface indicated a meal had been enjoyed and with small scraps of food being squabbled over by the birds we could see that the Orca now had full bellies and were ready for play! All age groups joined the party with fast approaches towards us and then gentle looks up at the bow to check everyone out, a large male stayed right on our bow and moved from port to starboard side for a few minutes. The males are incredibly powerful and we could hear in his exhalations a small example of this power along with his streamlined dorsal fin and huge paddle pectorals, an incredible sight to witness. El Notcho finally arrived and rejoined with his girls, some curious behaviour today that might have indicated a little bit of flirting amongst the males and females as we observed fantastic social interactions amongst them all and enjoyed being included in the Bremer Canyon Orca Experience on a beautiful day in the canyon.
