Orca foraging patterns can be observed aboard our tours as we travel with our apex predators on historical tracks that have been passed down from one Orca generation to the next. It was yet another stunning day to be out on the water with a calm sea and big blue sky that stretched out all the way towards the horizon. Travelling through the sighting grounds we revisited locations the Orca have been spending much time foraging in over the season so far. A flash of movement along our port side was sighted as a beautiful Blue Shark cruised along at the surface for a while as we travelled with him watching the powerful strength and efficiency of another one of our oceans top predators. Continuing on we scanned carefully as the call went out from Ambrose that we had Orca and there they were! The family was on the move and covering ground efficiently as we joined with them and confirmed the identification of the individuals.
It was Vera and her family whom we met for the very first time back in February 2022 and big male Zelensky was travelling with them as well. It was exciting to have the opportunity of spending time with this family who we still need to complete much identification work with as over the last four seasons we have had limited time spent with them due this families Orca foraging patterns. Vera and her family appear to spend most of their time to the far west of The Patch which limits our time with them as they are often many kilometres foraging and hunting away from the main sighting grounds. Every pod has distinctive patterns of movement when it comes to looking for food and it is the matriarchs who pass on this knowledge from one generation to the next. The flow of food is variable each day and every season which provides us a chance to also learn from the matriarchs as we follow their lead and allow them to be the teachers and ourselves the students. Travelling with the different Orca families allows us to learn their unique foraging patterns and today was a real treat as we were able to spend time with Vera and observe her movements.
