Esperance bound Killer Whales it was today as Cheryl and her family pod moved out to the east as hundreds of Pilot Whales arrived in The Patch. A beautiful morning greeted us once again as blue skies and a calm sea escorted us out to the sighting grounds. Our first sighting appeared shortly after we arrived as multiple blows and tail slapping erupted just ahead, but these were not Orca surfacing. Pilot Whales as far as the eye could see moved towards us with much enthusiasm and excitement as they gathered momentum the further they moved into The Patch. Hundreds of individuals travelled together and it was lovely to see so many, being a species that spends their lives offshore to meet a Pilot Whale is a very special opportunity. Bottlenose Dolphins were also travelling with them which is not unusual as the Bottlenose will benefit greatly by travelling with the Pilot Whales. Safety in numbers and a large team working together to search for food is perfect for these smaller Dolphin species who live amongst predatory Sharks.
Wishing them well for their foraging day ahead we moved out to begin our search for the largest dolphin of them all and it didn’t take long for the call of Orca to echo out as Craig got the spot today. B-Slice emerged out of the deep blue as he was followed by the rest of his family pod on a steady and consistent journey to the east. The family was relaxed and it was great to see them again after our time with them yesterday. Fascinating to observe their hard work sweeping to the west yesterday and now today it was time to head east as prey availability over the last 24-48 hours appears to be thin on the ground during daylight hours at least. Giovanni was also travelling with the family today as he took up the southern end of the FLOT line that marched eastbound throughout the day. The conditions were crystal clear as the distinctive markings and features of the Orca glowed through the 1,800 meter depth below our feet. A big swim with the Orca had us closing in on the distance to Esperance as we wished them well for their day ahead and soaked in the sunshine back towards the beautiful coastline of Bremer Bay.
