Sitting at the Orca dinner table today as a meal of Beaked Whale was shared amongst the family pod before the Orca interrupted a feeding Sperm Whale to see what he was having for lunch. Scanning carefully as we arrived in The Patch there was an energy amongst the birds as we joined with Kidji and her family pod who had been successful in completing a Beaked Whale hunt. The family were feasting as small amounts of the meal were pulled and teared apart before being shared amongst the pod members. Deep red flesh was being collected by the hungry Shearwaters and to confirm our suspicions of a Beaked Whale it was a meaningful moment to see one of the female Orca approach us with what remained of the Beaked Whales fluke proudly in her mouth. The celebrations of this meal continued with social interactions around us and many beautiful spy hops and close approaches continued.
It is always a good sign to see the Orca using the bathroom as it means they are feeding well. Today the Craig-Pro captured the rather embarrassing moment one of the Orca decided a quick toilet stop next to us was a good idea! Tail slapping began as the Orca increased their energy levels and began to surge into deeper water. Watching carefully we could see the distinctive muffled blow of a Sperm Whale surface quickly as the Orca closed in on him. Seeming startled, the Sperm Whale also released an enormous amount of whale poo as a way to unsettle the Orca as they raced towards him quickly. It seemed to work as he quickly moved out of the area and away from those cheeky and mischievous Orca. Settling back into forage mode we joined with another pod we have not seen for a while, Matilda and her family who were cruising through the area. Relaxed and looking for their next meal it was a great example of how the ebbs and flows to the Orcas energy level changes throughout the day. It was a special day for our team today as we send a big Happy Birthday to Katie who celebrated her special day with the Orca as Donna created a sensational cake while Robin made sure the surprise was kept secret! Bravo team xxx
