It was a cosy morning with a cloudy sky and calm sea, the perfect sighting weather and we could easily count thirteen mums and calf pods! It was Humpback Whale calf playtime as all the little ones joined in with breaching, head lunging and socialising with the Bottlenose Dolphins. All the mums joined in as well and it was great to see them all having a wonderful time this morning in the safety of the resting grounds. No bachelor males were observed or escort males which meant the mums and bubs had the place to themselves and were all very relaxed without cheeky bachelor males chasing them around. It is such a special area for our cow and calf pods to visit and enjoy their time here before its time to continue on the southbound migration back towards Antarctica. Generally they will stay for one to three days on average but some will stay longer or shorter depending on each individual mother whale and what she decides is required for her and her calf.
The midday tour sighted another gathering of mums and claves but this time they were all very relaxed and enjoying some snooze timer. Curious, a few of the pods ventured over to say hello but we could tell they were maintaining a low profile and sure enough the reason was clear to see as two seperate competition pods started to form. It was exciting to see and hear the boisterous energy from all these bachelor males as they jostled and worked hard to try and position themselves closest to the female which kept things very entertaining to see amongst the two pods. Further pods in the area scattered as the mothers worked hard to ensure they weren’t anywhere near the commotion, a competition can be exhausting for a young calf to keep up with and the mother whales teach good habits by maintaining distance from the commotion anytime it is heard in the vicinity. Still great to see bachelor males on the move down the coast as they spend less time in the sighting grounds we enjoy every last comp pod before the mums and calves take over for the last few weeks of the season.
