Southern Ocean Wanderers in The Patch today as the Orca enjoyed a meal after their successful hunt as Wandering Albatross soared. Arriving in the sighting grounds a large oil slick had formed and as we looked closely we could see the movement of the slick as the Orca carried their meal with them. Shearwaters and Albatross followed the Orca everywhere they went as they tried to keep close for a possible meal of their own to enjoy as the odd snack would appear on the surface. The strong scent and size of the slick indicated it was likely to have been a Beaked Whale hunt as we could see that Queen and Alki were the hunting pods responsible. The Wandering Albatross were beautiful today as they soared within metres of us before being surrounded by dozens of Shearwaters. Managing to land amongst the squabbling of feathers one of the Southern Ocean Wanderers were able to pick up a slither of whitish flesh on the waters surface which made all the gliding worth the effort.
The Orca enjoyed their meal as it was pulled and torn apart into smaller and smaller pieces. The calves learning from a young age the intricate way of sharing their meal amongst pod members. A stark comparison is how the sharks would feast on the leftovers snapping them up within moments. A large Hammerhead Shark swam straight towards our bow as it cruised past on the surface having been attracted to the area by the large oil slick. Handsome male Orca Hookfin came charging in towards us like a torpedo before pivoting underneath our bow. Wonks, Flapper and Stormy joined in on the torpedo fun as the used the swell to surf into us playfully. A vast ocean filled with magnificent creatures both in the depths below and soaring in the sky above.
