Killer Whales in hunt mode was observed today as Queen and Alki worked hard to secure a meal of squid while also enjoying a spot of bow riding! It was set to be a busy day for the families as they worked hard in search of that next meal, sometimes the prey they target can be very elusive. Squid and Beaked Whale are the main focus currently as during the summer and early autumn the Orca focus in on these prey due to their abundance and regularity of movement through the hunting grounds. Working in one kilometre or more of water depth is not easy and it is a skillset that matriarch Queen will pass on to the next generation with everyday and opportunity to learn and practice. After some good searching it was now time for the equivalent of an Orca coffee break as the family regrouped together and then began to pickup speed.
Racing with the swell, the Orca were enjoying some surf time while covering ground and decided to join us to show off their bow riding abilities. It is always exhilarating having Orca surf with you and today the Orca seemed to be having as much fun as we were as they showed off their speed and agility. Regrouping in The Patch we watched on to see Alki and her family finally secure a decent meal which appeared to be a good sized squid. A light oil slick surrounded the family pod as the birds squabbled over food scraps while the Orca savoured and shared this precious meal amongst the pod. Fishing is always unpredictable for the Orca and even when they work very hard to find or track food it doesn’t always result in success. Today though it was fantastic to see that hard work pay off for the Orca and although a small meal it will help provide the energy for the next search the Orca will undertake. A final surprise was beautiful Australian Sea Lion Pearl welcoming us back to the Bremer Bay Boat Harbour with her beautiful big eyes and whisker smile!
