Migrating Humpbacks are currently moving through Flinders Bay as this morning we met a heavily pregnant female northbound and a few very relaxed escort pods. The lovely winters morning was a perfect opportunity to head out and spend some time with the whales in-between the latest weather fronts that have moved through the region. Our first sighting was of a distinctive footprint moving past the Augusta Boat Harbour. A footprint is formed as whales swim, moving their fluke up and down which disturbs the water and creates a swirling vortex that reaches up to the surface. The result is round, smooth patches at the oceans surface which look similar to an oil slick and allows us to determine the pathway the whales are swimming. Surfacing just ahead of the last footprint in the line was a lovely adult female who was relaxed and in migration mode.
During each surfacing we could see the width of this female and as she travelled solo her journey ahead will be a long one. Ideally she will find her way to the Kimberly region before she gives birth to her calf and raises the little one there for a few weeks before heading back south together. Deciding that she needed a little rest before leaving through the reef line we wished her well as she shuffled into the corner of Flinders Bay for a power nap. Our next pods were escort pods cruising through the bay and one pod in particular had two enormous adults that were soon accompanied by a curious and younger adult whale. All seemed content during their time travelling together before the older whales pushed out towards the islands to continue the northern migration. The local Bottlenose Dolphins were busy foraging and it was fantastic to be out on the bay this morning seeing the migrating Humpbacks moving through on their epic migration ahead.
