Australian Killer Whales are incredible to observe in the wild as today we enjoyed the company of famous matriarch Queen and her family pod. Greeting us on our arrival was an enormous Wandering Albatross who lingered in the area throughout the day. Our first interaction was with another favourite family and much loved matriarch Alki. The family was focused and foraging amongst the swell as they dedicated their morning to looking for breakfast. It appeared that brekkie was a bit trickier to find today as the family scanned The Patch but didn’t find much. It was good to know that they had a backup plan as Queen and her family pod were also busy foraging alongside them.
Flapper and Stormy were excited to see us as they raced over to greet everyone onboard. The other youngsters in this family including new babies Samurai and Opal were up to mischief. Enjoying some playtime they would chase after each other with much enthusiasm before spiralling towards our bow. Their mothers kept a close eye on the youngsters but allowed for them to enjoy some playtime to break up the consistent foraging. Noosa and Queen both spent some time with us today as they relaxed into the afternoon and these two wise ladies seemed content for now. It is a big responsibility for the elder Orca within the family to lead the pod and find food each and everyday. It is something they do very well and although the youngsters in the family pod spend much time playing now their time to find food will come in the next few years ahead of them.
