Humpback calf baleen was on show this afternoon while two mature bachelor males cruised towards the departure lounge of the sighting grounds in the morning. Calm and peaceful moments this morning as we spent the start of our day with a bachelor pod of two males. While with the boys we observed four other pods close by as the mums and calves rested quietly to avoid being detected by the curious males. The boys were focused on the migration ahead though as they calmly and methodically moved towards Rottnest Island with the still conditions making it easy to spot their shadows and footprints just below the waters surface. Seeing these two boys together was lovely as we haven’t had many boys come through of late, we sighted these two yesterday cruising through the grounds and looks like they were going to head off down the coast this morning as they made their way to the departure lounge area we see our whales head out from after they have spent some time resting in the waters off Perth.
It goes to show how important it is for our whales to have rest spots down our coastline so they can reserve their energy levels before making their way to Antarctica. These boys were in good condition but you could still see the massive weight loss after a season filled with traveling and competing, we could see their shoulder blades sticking out a bit but it wont be long until they will be back in Antarctica feeding away and getting ready for the next migration in 2025. Heading out for our midday tour and it was absolutely beautiful with soft rain and calm seas we enjoyed spending time with the most curious mum and calf. The rain was the little calf’s new friend as he felt it falling on his back he lifted his head and opened his mouth right open to feel the sensation of the rain. It was incredible to see the soft baleen inside his mouth he will use to filter his food, for now it’s just fresh milk from mum but soon will be krill in Antarctica. As we spent more time building our friendship and trust with this mum and calf she fell in love with us and circled our boat with her calf over and over again. A truely intimate and special interaction that we won’t forget, the rain adding a very nice touch for a lovely pod member moment.
