Killer Whales hunt Beaked Whale this morning as hundreds of Shearwaters and Albatross flocked to the large oil slick that had formed on the surface. Our morning firstly began with a very curious Slater who spent time swimming right underneath our feet and saying good morning, such a sociable Orca. The rest of the family including baby Grace also said hello and it was lovely to see them all together again. Suddenly, the surge was on and all Orca within 900 meters took off at speed together creating a spectacular sight. Orca fireworks ensued as they lifted themselves above the swell and created much white water and continued the momentum towards the shelf. Joining with B-Slice and his family as they travelled right alongside us, simply beautiful to watch them travel together. Not far away we joined with Queen and her family who had undertaken the hunt of a Beaked Whale and it resulted in success for the Orca involved with the hunt.
The meal was shared amongst everyone, separating into their little groups to feed and we witnessed them lifting the backbone of their meal above the waters surface. Little Stormy may only be 12-14 months old but she has already learnt from her elders and it was significant to witness as she carried the head of the Beaked Whale in her mouth, mimicking the exact behaviour often sighted by the matriarchs. The number of birds continued to grow as playful behaviour increased amongst the pod and they made very close approaches to the bow showing off their meal. Stormy paraded her prize in front of everyone and anytime one of the family came too close she cheekily gave a little tail slap. The life of this Beaked Whale provided food for hundreds and the birds filled their bellies so much that by the time we departed after almost three hours of feeding, they were all resting on the water and too heavy to comfortably fly. A very educational day in the Patch as we witnessed extraordinary behaviours and were welcomed into the pod for an intimate experience.
