Squid slicks greeted us on our arrival in the Patch as a large oil slick and feeding Orca appeared under a cloud of birds. It was Wasco and Echo with their babysitter sharing a freshly caught squid meal as they lifted the bright red prize to the surface. Carrying it in their mouths and taking turns to twist and tear small mouthfuls, the Shearwaters and Albatross were also gathering in on the meal. It was very special to observe such behaviour as they welcomed us to the dinner table and excitedly showed off their meal. The rest of the family were just up ahead and after curious approaches from the three amigos towards the vessel and bow we moved up to see B-Slice and family.
Razor and her calf Blade greeted us and swam directly towards the bow before moving back to the foraging happening amongst the rest of the pod. One very special Orca then entertained us as she swam straight over with a small mouthful of squid, it was Jetta and she was happy to see us. It was amazing to watch as she continued to carry her prized morsel with her around and around the boat. It almost seemed she was proudly showing off her catch as she continued to swim with us. Two other family pods arrived in the afternoon including Queen and Noosa’s pods as they began to seek out the rich squid feeding grounds. It was later in the afternoon and a call went out that an Orca was approaching right on our stern and as we turned our heads to look everyone began to giggle. It was Jetta and she was back again, still travelling with that morsel of food in her mouth! A very funny girl she is and once again she swam towards the boat to show off that she was still carrying her prize with her, a special character that we love spending time with.
