Perth Whale watching in November is always full of surprises as today we observed an all adult pod in what is traditionally a mother and calf time of the year. A big blue sky day escorted us out to the sighting grounds as tall blows were sighted and a large pod of adults surfaced. It was interesting to see a pod like this late in the season, it has been well over a week since we sighted our last bachelor, competition or escort pod. It was observed that there were very few mothers and calves in the sighting grounds this morning and these adults were in cruise control as they were migrating past Rottnest Island. It is extraordinary to think that these whales have not fed in many months since their departure of the feeding grounds in Antarctica and all adults have a strong longing for a decent meal of krill.
The calves are the only ones who have been feeding during the migration and it is the many regular meals of milk they enjoy each day that ensures they have the energy they need for the journey ahead. The adults instead need to rely on their fat reserves to sustain them on these incredible migrations and as they close in on the last stretch of the journey there is still a very long way to go. Today the focus for these adult Humpback Whales was continuing their journey southbound and with no time to rest they were setting a steady pace and enjoying each others company. Always a joy to see these whales making their migration successfully and although it is a long journey still to go they will soon be amongst abundant krill which they can feast on all summer long.
