Perth Canyon Blue Whale Season 2024 has begun as today we celebrated the start of our eighth Blue Whale season in the waters off Rottnest Island with two beautiful Blues. It was set to be a beautiful day out on the water as we departed the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour amongst the calm of the early morning as we enjoyed a lovely cruise out past Rottnest Island. The water depth increased as we arrived in the Perth Canyon and began our search with all eyes scanning carefully. The light winds eased further and as the Shearwaters and Storm Petrels scattered in search of their next meal a lofty and familiar blow appeared just up ahead, the Blue Whales were in town! A very exciting moment for all onboard as we met one of the largest creatures on our planet gracefully surface amongst the crystal waters of the Indian Ocean. A beautiful sight and this particular Blue Whale was extremely relaxed whale cruising along in search of some tasty krill.
The importance of this area is vital to the overall success of a Blue Whales migration as they rely heavily on these waters to provide the sustenance they need to gain the required energy reserves before continuing their northbound journey. It is also the breeding and calving season which makes for an exciting time as their entire day is not purely just on finding food anymore, they also have a bit of extra time for socialising and flirting. Little is known about Blue Whale courtship but it is these feeding grounds which provide a great opportunity to better study and understand the lives of these incredible whales. Today our first Blue Whale also had company as a second individual was also foraging nearby with both making the most of the perfect travel conditions. The tail dives are always a spectacular sight as the seven meter wide fluke floats gracefully above the surface for a few moments before disappearing back into the depths below during each foraging dive. It was also a fantastic day to collect some good ID images which will be added to our catalogue as we continue to learn more and more about our worlds largest yet most mysterious creature. Perth Canyon Blue Whale Season 2024 is set to be another wonderful opportunity to spend time with one of the most remarkable and gentle cetacean species on our planet.
