Bremer Bay Orca playtime it was today as new calf Gabriel joined in on the fun along with pod members as they enjoyed some fun together. Our first interaction though was with the beautiful Pilot Whales as they moved through The Patch calmly and were very relaxed around the Steep Point. Pilot Whales are such an incredible species to meet in the wild with their charismatic and confident personalities clear to see. Cheryl and her family were also moving through The Patch as tiny calf Gabriel was sighted and we were relieved, there have been a few days of wild weather recently which is always a challenge for such a young newborn. We needn’t worry though as little Gabriel was perfectly fine and as we approached the pod they all came over to say hello. A small oil slick appeared and the meal was quickly shared, most likely fish or squid.
There was also plenty of tuna around today as well indicating a good flow of food moving through the foraging grounds from big to small. Playtime began as Gabriel, Eddie, Dart and B-Slice were the lead instigators of the fun as the surrounded us and beelined the GoPro repeatedly. It was very exciting to see Gabriel joining in and it is the first time we have seen him really play. Although just a newborn Gabriel is already starting to test the limits with a couple of head lunge/breaches today and plenty of rolling around at the surface. The family continued to play around us and it was very special to be included in the fun with the size difference between B-Slice and Gabriel most noticeable! It was fantastic to see the family so happy and playful today which hopefully indicates that they have been feeding well recently while they have been away from The Patch. Wishing them well for the afternoon ahead we had one last visit from Giovanni who glided past the bow and showed off his massive dorsal fin. A perfect way to complete another wonderful day with the Orca and Pilot Whales of Bremer Bay.
