Meeting a Humpback calf is always a very special moment and this morning we had the opportunity of meeting a most curious little one who decided we would make good mates. A cloudy sky spread out around Rottnest Island but the rain had cleared and winds eased by the time we made our way from the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and out into the sighting grounds. Our first pod was a sleepy mother and calf resting in the shallows and it looked like the last two days of wild weather had been challenging for them as both took the opportunity to rest in the much calmer conditions. Wishing them well for the rest of their morning sleep-in we approached our second pod and watched as a young calf rolled about at the surface.
The little one was in-between feeding dives as mother whale would rest a few meters below the surface as her calf would feed, surface right on our bow and return to her repeatedly. The little one was extremely curious and continued to approach us as his mum had to return to the surface to collect her curious calf repeatedly. It was wonderful to build a trust with this lovely pod as they rested right alongside us and were completely at ease. It was almost time to depart when another mum and calf launched into breaching so we decided to approach for our last interaction of the morning. The young calf was airborne and performed a few powerful barrel role breaches as she tumble rolled through the air before landing with an almighty splash. It was much fun to watch and as mother and calf completed their surface display we could see them heading further into the resting grounds and hopefully we will have the opportunity of seeing them again tomorrow.
