Fin Whale survives Orca attack during an incredible encounter today as Pilot Whales appeared to distract and protect the Fin Whale from the attention of the Orca briefly before the hunt erupted in the first ever observed Fin Whale predation attempt for Bremer Bay! It was a very beautiful morning as we departed in a cloak of mist that soon dispersed as we arrived in the sighting grounds and immediately the call went out for Orca. Nicki, Maddison and Helen greeted us first as they excitedly approached the bow and swam with us for some morning travel and fun. Alki and the rest of the family joined nearby and all was well with the Orca before a very tall and lofty blow appeared further ahead… our hearts sunk as the Orca turned and started a steady approach. The momentum was excited but controlled as they moved forwards with some speed when another lofty exhale was sighted but it was surrounded by small dorsal fins, was it further Orca that were surrounding this baleen whale and why was there no frantic commotion? Arriving a little closer we could now confirm all those dorsal fins were Pilot Whales and Offshore Bottlenose Dolphins surrounding a large whale whom we would later identify as a sub-adult Fin Whale (possible Omura Whale / Dwarf Fin Whale).
Watching the interaction between the Fin Whale and the Pilot Whales was fascinating as it appeared relaxed and social in the still conditions. Monitoring the movements of the Orca behind us we could see tuffs of white water as they covered the distance we had just travelled but as they moved within a few hundred meters Ambrose observed the Orca revert to stealth mode and become less obvious in their movements as they closed in the distance between themselves and the Fin Whale. Meanwhile our very friendly Fin Whale had circled around us and was now approaching our port side with interest, we were becoming very worried our new friend may be in a bit of trouble. The distraction of the Pilot Whales only lasted for a short time and the safety of travelling in this noisy sound footprint was no longer effective as the Fin Whale surfaced just off our bow and then suddenly in his footprints Nicki and Helen appeared eerily calmly. It was seconds after this moment the Fin Whale realised the Orca were there and instantly launched forwards, we have never seen a baleen whale move this fast before! He absolutely flew and left a trail of footprints behind before exploding to the surface as the Orca, Fin Whale and Pilot Whales all started to surge simultaneously creating an extraordinary sight.
The chase was on as all around us the Orca communicated it was time to go and stealth mode was left behind as they flew towards the Fin Whale. At one point they were travelling just over fifty kilometres per hour as white water was flying skywards with their bodies surging forwards with such speed and momentum carrying them with incredible urgency. The Pilot Whales decided to divert away and the Orca continued as they tried to cutoff the Fin Whale and it was at this point a couple of the Orca managed to get their teeth on the Fin Whale. A serious commotion was observed on a couple of occasions as Orca made contact with the whale and seemed to cause some injuries as a large trail of oil was now being left behind as he zigged and zagged in an attempt to outmanoeuvre the Orca. Three Stripes stepped in and was one of the last Orca closest to the Fin Whale as she moved alongside us then past and looked like a torpedo moving through the Fin Whales footprint trail and within meters of her desired prey. The Fin Whale noticed and accelerated again managing to keep ahead of Three Stripes and all of the other Orca who were starting to peel back from the chase.
It was almost one hour since the surge had begun with all involved looking tired and amazingly the Fin Whale had managed to create a very good 300+ meter distance between itself and the nearest Orca with that distance increasing. The Fin Whale was always going to be an enormous challenge as they are one of the fastest mammals in the sea and able to travel at speeds of 50km per hour or possibly more especially in such a life or death situation. It was at this point we decided to drop back and rejoin with the Orca while wishing this beautiful Fin Whale a safe escape and journey ahead. An incredibly feisty and fearless individual to not panic in such a dire situation and escape the Orca, although just a juvenile Fin Whale this youngster has a very bright future if he or she learns from the mistakes of travelling in Orca territory!
Kirra and Bubbles joined with us as they surged along in our wake and right next to our duckboards during a thrilling interaction as they enjoyed the last of their surge before the call was made to regroup. Queen and Alki had all their pod members back together as the family spent some time just off our bow and we wondered what they were all thinking after such a hectic morning but just as our minds wondered yet another commotion appeared, the Pilot Whales were back! Surging in towards the Orca they seemed to try and ruffle the Orca to get going but Queen was not budging as she moved in on our bow and sent a stern message to the Pilot Whales who adjusted their course and didn’t bother the Orca any further. The grudge between the Orca and Pilot Whales continues to grow as it appeared their attempt of protecting or disguising the Fin Whale early on in the morning was clearly noted and remembered by Queen!
It was a phenomenal day and we are very grateful to have been able to share it with the Totterdell’s, our dedicated team and all of our Pod Members onboard. Witnessing such an incredible event is always a privilege and a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the extraordinary wildlife that live and thrive in these waters off our southern coastline. Today for the Orca it was certainly the one that got away, but with winter fast approaching we feel this is just a warm up and training drill for the Orca families. May our Fin Whale have a long and happy life ahead, he gifted us a once in a lifetime experience today and displayed the importance of never giving up.
