Playful Perth Whales were observed today as our morning sighted a friendly juvenile enjoying a seaweed facial while the afternoon enjoyed the company of relaxed escort pods. It was another stunning day with barely a breeze and a calm sea enabling a smooth ride out to the sighting grounds as upon our arrival a lone juvenile Humpback Whale appeared and made his way over to us curiously surfacing very close and moving around us in circles, we smiled to see the interest this youngster had towards us and also the seaweed nearby. Due to the still conditions and recent strong swells, there was a lot of seaweed and seagrass adrift and with little movement today it had tightly bunched up together. A perfect opportunity for a seaweed facial!
The youngster revelled in the chance to twist and roll playfully amongst the seaweed while including us in the fun by approaching our bow and stern for a closer look on multiple occasions. Hopefully this little one will find a friend soon with the resting grounds a perfect location to meet up with other travelling Humpback Whales. The afternoon observed a few older individuals with three seperate escort pods meandering towards Rottnest Island. None were in a hurry as they covered round slowly with one pod very interested in us and a nearby fishing vessel as they closed in for a closer look. It is always amazing to watch just how curious completely wild whales can be as these two approached to investigate the area and nearby vessels. Wishing them well for their long journey ahead we know that these pods have a head start from the rest of the population as they prepare to leave the Australian coastline and make the first move to the summer feeding grounds of Antarctica.
