November Whale Watching in Perth is a special time as mothers and their calves take over the Western Australian coastline and the newest members of the WA population enjoy exploring their migration path. Journeying out on a beautiful morning we enjoyed the company of two mothers and calves who had been quietly resting in the area. Suddenly, a large tail lob was sighted just to our right hand side as one of the females responded to the other pod approaching too closely. A few quiet moments past when both pods resurfaced again and they were both slowly heading in opposite directions. A perfect example of how females will use and teach their calves The Language of the Whales™ when needed in the resting grounds to ensure they maintain their own personal space.
The size difference between mother and calf and how much growing they achieve in their young lives is most apparent when enjoying November whale watching in Perth. The calves are tiny in comparison to their mums and as they both surface to breathe together we can appreciate mums large size… even though she has lost up to a third of her body weight after not having had anything to eat for 4-6 months! Keeping up with mum is not always easy on the long migration so close contact is vital between the two with the calf often within touching distance of mum. A large shipping vessel approached the grounds where our whales were resting and mum carefully taught her calf how to correctly move away from the vessel while still maintaining your position within the sound footprint area of the preferred resting grounds. Another special day out with our whales just off beautiful Perth.