Intercontinental Blue Whale Travellers who spend a lifetime visiting different oceans and living amongst different cultures in their epic lifetime journey. Every Blue Whale we meet spends their year travelling from one continent to another, beginning the year in the Bonney Upwelling as summer feasting is enjoyed in these nutrient rich waters. Autumn brings them closer to home right in the heart of the Perth Canyon as they spend a few weeks feeding here in preparation for the intercontinental leg of their journey. Energy reserves filled and ready for the long haul swim northbound they travel along the edge of Western Australia before sweeping up into the Banda Sea. The mysteries of this stage of their journey are still yet to be discovered and it is thanks to the efforts of the team from Centre of Whale Research Western Australia that satellite tags will hopefully reveal the pathways for a safe trip. Once winter is completed and the weather starts to warm the Blue Whales head back south to the Bonney Upwelling as yet another year and intercontinental journey is complete.
It makes us think of the different water temperatures, currents, feel, sounds and movement of the oceans they are travelling through. Just as when we travel and visit different places the Blue Whales must notice the unique changes to their environment as the travel along with the different species of wildlife they will see along the way. We wonder if they have that same sense of coming home as we often do after a trip abroad and if they have a favourite time if the year or location that they enjoy spending their time in the most.
Today was perfect with glassy conditions and a warm breeze escorting us to the sighting grounds and shortly after arriving a billowing exhale appeared. It was of course a magnificent Blue Whale heading straight for us and the rest of our day was spent with this special individual. Calm, cool and collected this lovely character was at ease shifting from travel mode to foraging throughout the morning. Surfacing regularly and very closely to us we could even see his enormous pectoral fins through the glassy sea with their little white reflections. A day to be spoilt as each surfacing ended in the most beautiful fluke dive showcasing the strength and size of this enormous adult. Unique mottled patterns speckled over the shoulder blades of this whale will be part of the identification process for hopefully many future sightings of this special Blue Whale. Our afternoon was completed with boisterous and playful Offshore Bottlenose Dolphins who raced over for some fun in the afternoon sunshine soaking up a perfect Mothers Day.
