Morning Tour
South West Whale Watching was at its very best today with intimate Southern Right Whale interactions, boisterous Humpback Whales and Leeuwin Kids onboard for some holiday fun. Our morning firstly started with two bachelor males cruising the shallows on their way towards the reef line. The two boys took interest towards another whale just ahead of them but as we looked closer we could see that this was a Southern Right Whale they were approaching.
A fantastic moment to see the two species move past each other and as the males continued towards the reef the Southern Right Whale began to swim directly towards us curiously. Spending the next period of time circling within meters of the Whale Watch 1 and resting just below us we were completely smitten with this most beautiful whale. The local Bottlenose Dolphins were hanging out with a relaxed Humpback Whale while a lone juvenile Pacific Gull had found a meal of fresh cuttlefish in the glassy morning conditions.
Holiday Excursion
The local children from Leeuwin Kids joined us for a school holiday excursion and it was wonderful to see the excitement from the next generation of whale watchers. Departing the harbour it didn’t take long to see why South West Whale Watching is so very special in Augusta as an escort pod of Humpback Whales cruised past. The children were able to observe these two beautiful whales making their way towards the reef line and learn a little bit about the incredible migration these whales are making. The male Humpback also displayed the Language of the Whales perfectly as a few powerful fluke slaps were used to defend his female and flex his muscles in a lovely display for all of us to see.
Afternoon Tour
The afternoon conditions were beautiful and as we departed breaching on the horizon indicated there was action in the bay. Arriving on scene we could see the most beautiful white bellied female launching into beautiful breaching and pec slapping as she teased the males she was travelling with and encouraged their attention. Leading them on a chase the males quickly followed as they pushed out to deeper ground. A second competition pod was rumbling from the eastern side of the Bay and as they charged towards the reef line white water was sent flying.
It was amusing to see just ahead our young Southern Right Whale friend from earlier in the day heading over and the Humpbacks managed to pass him quickly. We stayed for a little while and enjoyed some surface time with our new Southern Right best mate before we wished him well and continued on with the comp pod. Spectacular energy had flowed from one side of the bay to the other and was the perfect example of the essence of the northern Humpback migration.
