Western Australian Pilot Whales can be found in the waters off Bremer Bay and today we spent time with these most charismatic, charming characters. Family pods range from twenty to thirty individuals on average and you will have multiple family pods travelling together. Regarded as the cheetahs of the sea Pilot Whales have a remarkable ability to sprint during their deep feeding dives in comparison to their deep diving cetacean counterparts. Pilot Whales are known to reach speeds of up to thirty kilometres per hour when sprinting after squid at depths of five hundred to one thousand metres. It is tiring for them but worthwhile if they are successful in snatching a larger squid from the depths below. Today we had plenty of little squid slicks indicating that the Pilot Whales were successful in these short, sharp foraging sprints as food was shared.
Feeding time complete they all began to converge as social time began and we were the centre of attention. Surrounding us with enthusiasm and curiosity each member cruised past the bow to get a better look at everyone onboard. Spy hopping followed as their most beautiful little faces lifted up above the ocean to peer back towards us with eyes wide open. The juveniles were having the most wonderful time as they flipped upside down and swam belly ups while filling their mouth full of water and spitting it back out again. Showing off those pearly whites we could see how those sharp teeth are perfect for capturing squid and fish in the depths below. Western Australian Pilot Whales are the life of the party and a wonderful species to observe in the wild.
