Orca Eating in the Bremer Canyon Patch on a beautiful summers day as we were surrounded by hundreds of seabirds as the Orca feasted under our feet. Arriving in the Bremer Canyon Patch we could feel the energy as birds were sighted all around, the Orca felt close to us as we scanned the horizon. A cloud of 500+ Shearwaters and Albatross lifted high before dropping back down again in a hurry, the Orca were in town! It was incredible to watch as two enormous Wandering Albatross soared past us to reach the others and soon we could see the reason behind such urgency as the Orca had just made a kill. Alki swam past the bow as she proudly displayed a delicious chunk of Giant Squid for all to see onboard. The white flesh being dragged along was almost the same length of her body as the rest of the family pod gathered for the feast. It was a twitchers delight today as we enjoyed the company of hundreds of feathered friends surrounding us as they managed to feed on leftover scraps on the surface with many a squabble.
The entire morning was spent with Orca eating in the Bremer Canyon Patch as strips of squid was carefully teared and shared amongst everyone. Orca calf Grace, who will be celebrating her first birthday very soon, was following Dot and Maddison very closely as she learnt how to prepare squid from her family members. Maddison approached our bow as it was now her turn to carry the meal and as she swam up to us she ever so gently dropped the food right next to our bow, it was her offering to us and at that moment we were enthralled as we had well and truely Joined The Pod. Spy hopping was also incorporated many times throughout the feast as the Orca kept a close eye on everyone around them. El Notcho and his family cruised past and at only 50 meters away it was fascinating to watch the respect between these two family pods as they did not interrupt the feeding of Alki and her family. Nearly fours hours had past before the feeding had completed and with full bellies the family went into resting mode as we tiptoed away, what a truely incredible opportunity and privilege to have spent time at the dining table of the Bremer Orca.
