Bremer Bay Daycare kept us busy today as the calves from three family pods were left to play and learn while elder pod members watched on from afar. The action began within moments of arriving in The Patch as the calves from Kidji, Queen and Cheryl’s families all rumbled and tumbled in the southern ocean. It was incredible to witness such behaviour amongst wild Orca as they welcomed us into the activities. The calves would try to pin one of the elder females down known as Three Stripes who kept the calves busy as she continually pushed her way back up to the surface. Vocalisation was wonderful today as we could hear the high pitched squeals and gurgles at the surface as Orca were flying in every direction. Bremer Bay daycare for Orca is not just about play but also practicing those hunting tactics and movements to hone in their skillset.
The adults were relaxed on the outskirts as social time continued for hours, it was incredible to see the endless energy of these youngsters. The change happened as a few of the females just ahead launched into breaching which had the whole pod surging to the west. Racing through the swell and streaking in towards us the only thing that could change this fun was just ahead of us as the energy levels went up another gear… Pilot Whales! Porpoising towards the Orca at pace as well over fifty individuals launched through the swell with ease. White water was flying as the Orca knew they had numbers on their side and continued to surge towards the Pilot Whales. Smart creatures they are the Pilot Whales spun on a dime and began to surge away from the Orca, too many of their bigger cousins were in The Patch today. It was a spectacular day of non stop action and a privilege to witness these two species in such a unique, pristine environment.
