Meeting Western Australia Sperm Whales is always special, even more so when you have over 45+ individuals travelling together in a matrilineal pod! Mothers and their newborn calves journeyed together as the teenagers were foraging on the outskirts of the pod. The angled, bushy exhalations began to appear all around as more and more of these deep diving giants surfaced in unison creating a spectacular scene. Consisting of mature females and their offspring, these happy travelling family pods will stick together until the young males reach their late teens and begin to join alliances with others of a similar age. This pod had over forty members and we sighted three new calves, including a very tiny poppet who would have only been a few weeks old. During the morning and throughout the day large oil slicks were being sighted along with a large density of birdlife including dozens of Storm Petrels and two magnificent Wandering Albatross. A Short-tailed Shearwater flew past with a lovely looking piece of squid… there had been a meal recently enjoyed in the Bremer Canyon. The culprits of these numerous oil slicks and squid snacks appeared as the sunshine increased and the Southern Ocean came to life with the sight of Western Australia Sperm Whales. Commercial whaling of Sperm Whales ended only back in 1978 just off the coast of Albany and a very short distance from where we sighted todays Sperm Whales. It was wonderful to spend time with these beautiful whales today and know that they are protected, no longer hunted and these brand new babies can enjoy a life full of freedom.
