Southern Humpback migration is all about social time as today we were surrounded on both tours by cheeky, curious and playful whales. It was all the about the teenagers this morning as five gorgeous juveniles swam around and around us as they played together. Spy hops, belly roles and plenty of excitable trumpeting could be heard all around us and it was an absolute joy to be with them all and watch them having so much fun. The long winter season will soon have passed and with spring just around the corner the whales can tell it is time for their southern journey. The youngsters are some of the first to lead the way and with a it of extra time on their hands they spend a lot of it socialising as they were this morning. It makes us so happy to see these Humpback Whales enjoying themselves and as they twisted and rolled we could confirm one male and one female in the mix of five.
It is great to be able to confirm and see how the dynamics of these pods unfold as being younger these teenagers are not so interested in the breeding season, but more focused on enjoying friendships. The midday tour was very much the same energy but this time we had six adult whales all socialising together. A little more boisterous this time as it appeared we had a fair few bachelor males in the mix and creating a noisy scene with loud trumpeting. Expressing their excitement by exhaling loudly we could see they were enjoying each others company as they socialised around us with all six trying to to push each other out of the way so they could be closest to the vessel. Coming in so close we could see every little tubercle and even the tiny hairs in the photographs captured. New barnacles were scattered over their rostrum and being so close to wild whales is always an experience we treasure as we have the opportunity to observe every little detail on our magnificent ocean giants.
