Humpbacks and rainbows were all around us on a winters day in Augusta as escort pods and juveniles journeyed through the bay. It is still a busy time for the Humpback Whales and though many have already made the long migration north to warmer waters there are still many thousands more heading north. Today we observed enormous, healthy adults travelling together in escort pods as each male and female kept clear of any other whales close by. Travelling at between 8-12 kilometre an hour Humpback Whales travel at a steady pace but cover ground efficiently this way ensuring they achieve anywhere from 100-300 kilometres every 24 hours. Sleep is not a big focus in the early stages of the migration as they have much ground to cover quickly but once they have arrived in warmer waters a snooze every so often becomes more regular.
A few rain showers created the perfect conditions once the sun came back out for the most beautiful rainbows. Augusta is located at the most south western point of Australia and is a dramatically beautiful location with sprawling coastlines and a healthy ecosystem for all who live here to thrive. The Humpback Whales love to spend a short time in the bay with most individuals here for 1-2 hours before continuing onwards. The usual exceptions are males who are always on the lookout for the girls with Flinders Bay being one of the best meeting grounds while juveniles tend to wait for other youngsters to move into the bay to socialise and mingle. Today we had a pod of four juveniles swimming together and enjoying each others company as they made their way towards the reef line. Safety in numbers is another benefit for young whales who can often be the target for Orca families hunting during the Humpback Whale migration season.
