Killer Whales of Australia include the Bremer Bay Orca population and today we had the wonderful opportunity of spending time with the family pods of Queen and Alki. The weather had started to settle after a couple of windy, rainy days in Bremer Bay but now the sun was starting to appear and blue sky began making its appearance as the morning grew older. Blows were sighted on arrival as we were greeted by a much loved Orca, it was our beloved Noosa. She is starting to show signs of her incredible life in the southern ocean as her body is looking thin and her movements less spritely. The exact age of Noosa is not known but we do believe she is much older than the others in her family pod and has always been one of the wisest of her family alongside Queen. She was in good spirits today as she worked with Tarni and together they honed in on one particular area of The Patch.
Queen and her family pod were spread throughout the day ensuring their Orca net was covering all angles of their preferred hunting grounds. Also working with them today was Alki and her family pod including adorable calves Grace and Helen who were very playful. Chasing each other through the swell we smiled to see them boisterously having some fun while the family had a bit of relax time close to the surface. The little ones would venture over to our bow while belly up to have a good look at everyone onboard. Orca have great vision and when up close to our vessel or guests they are able to have a fantastic view of everyone waving hello to them as they swim past. It was wonderful to see them all enjoying their day and working efficiently as each Pod Member continues to develop their hunting tactics and skillset. The calves will take many more years of training before they are ready to lead a hunt but there is no rush as the family ensures that the little ones have plenty of time to play and grow together.
