Humpback Whale cycle of life was observed today as we were witness to a sad sighting of a whale who had passed, healthy new calves and boisterous competition pods aboard a full day of whale observation showing just how challenging and miraculous the migration of a Humpback Whale truly is.
The morning was peaceful as we moved through the sighting grounds and so very calm which accentuated every little movement at the surface. Our first pod was a very sweet escort pod as male and female travelled calmly together and were both relaxed, seeming to be enjoying the calm conditions as they navigated their way towards Rottnest Island. Our second pod was a higher energy level as two seperate pods converged with one of the bachelor males darting across our bow in an attempt to make a surprise approach to the escort pod to our starboard side. It soon turned competitive as they followed after the female with much excitement and very loud trumpeting from all three boys. The female encouraged them with a few flirty pec slaps before all four continued southbound as they moved around Rottnest Island with perfect travel conditions ahead of them.
The weather was glassy again for our midday tour as we firstly met a juvenile Scalloped Hammerhead Shark who was cruising nervously along the surface. A mother and her calf were resting nearby and the baby was very healthy which was fantastic to see. On one surfacing it was very cute to see the calf slowly swimming after a cormorant who had surfaced after a feeding dive. The calves are always so curious and interested in their surroundings, it is always special to see them exploring and enjoying their time here. Our final pod was a mother and her calf who were travelling with a large male escort. A passing ship woke them up from their rest as they both launched into an incredible double breach and amongst the calm sea it made for the most breathtaking moment! Clearing out of that particular area we could see them shuffling into a new resting spot and settling back in to snooze mode.
Our afternoon tour began with a beautiful mum and calf pod who were both very relaxed and her calf was enjoying a big meal of milk. A commotion just ahead captured our attention and as we approached it was clear to see things were getting competitive! Six enormous adults were chasing, trumpeting and bubble veiling as they pursued a female and it was very exciting to be amongst all the high energy. Amongst all the commotion we noticed something just ahead that was unusual and as we checked our hearts sank, unfortunately what we had discovered was a whale carcass. Approaching the area we could see it had died a number of days ago with a large amount of decomposition and shark bites from where the blubber and flesh had been consumed. A very large tiger shark of approximately 3 meters was circling and countless others below to make the most of this meal opportunity.
No clear signs of entanglement or Orca inflicted wounds could be observed and ship strike was unlikely as the entirety of the whale seemed to be as it should with no clear large impact wounds. A young male, most likely a few years old and in overall fairly good body condition but internally it is hard to know what may have been a problem. Bird Flu is another factor to take into consideration and there are a myriad of other internal problems or illness possibilities that could have led to the passing of this poor Humpback Whale. It is always so sad to see these scenes, although we observe thousands of healthy Humpback Whales every season the reality is not all will make the journey successfully.
Although heartbreaking to say farewell to one of our precious Humpback Whales, their life will feed hundreds of sharks, fish and birds during the process of decomposing giving life to others. Our hope is the carcass does not make its way ashore, authorities have been notified and we recommend all beachgoers are vigilant in the coming days ahead. The gas buildup has inflated the throat pleats which is now acting as a sail and causing the carcass to move steadily with the breeze and currents. It was interesting to watch on as the pods a few hundred meters away continued on with their competition and the mother remained resting with her calf, all maintaining a good distance away from the area. It is the circle of life and on our return todays in the late afternoon sunshine we certainly though of just how tough the migration is for our Humpback Whales, although they make it look easy at times every successful journey is truly a miracle.
