Pilot Whales intrude on Bremer Orca today as they well outnumbered the Orca and decided today they were in the mood to chase with over one hundred animals involved in the foray. Initially the Orca were just cruising along playfully this morning on our arrival, Wonks was up to mischief again as he flirted with the girls as the others wrestled playfully. It was all much fun but we had the Pilot Whales closing in on them and although the Orca did a great job of evading them by swimming underneath us and backtracking, the Pilot Whales soon figured out what they were up to and now the chase began! It was exhilarating to watch as the Orca charged towards further pod members for backup as the Pilot Whales surged in behind them with white water flying all around.
It seems to be the Pilot Whales during these interactions who feed off the energy of the Orca, if the Orca increase speed the Pilot Whales go with them. A fascinating day to watch the dynamics between these two species play out before our eyes as eventually the Orca were able to regroup and leave the Pilot Whales behind them as the Orca continued on with socialising and play. Fantastic to see big boys Giovanni and El Notcho strutting through the sighting grounds and looking well, especially Giovanni who was spending some of his time flirting with females from other pods today so he must be feeling better! A wonderfully interactive and busy day with both our much loved Orca and Pilot Whales whose unique interactions continue to entertain us as we learn more about the relationship between these two powerful predators.
