Western Australia Orca tours operate every year from January to early April in the waters off Bremer Bay as we introduce our Pod Members to the remarkable members of this population including the very handsome El Notcho. It was this beautiful big boy that first greeted us this morning along with his pod member Swirl who raced towards us for their friendly greetings as they settled into their day ahead. It was a busy morning for the Orca and after yesterdays feast we were pleased to see them all looking relaxed and content. Members of Queen and Kidji’s pod were stretched out through The Patch and with each surfacing and dive they calmly moved small distances. The grounds we spend time in the Orca know intimately and everyday to them is just like walking around our neighbourhoods at home. The difference for the Orca is they need to monitor their backyards for visiting prey that often move through the area in a pelagic manner. Today the family pods were doing exactly that as they kept an eye open for anything moving through the hunting grounds as the families worked alongside each other.
Chalky came cruising through with Stella and as the day continued onwards it wasn’t long before Queen and the other half of her family pod came surging back towards The Patch. Swimming straight towards our bow like a torpedo she made a grand entrance as she continued onwards into deeper water with the rest of her family following. It was very interesting to observe B-Slice once again hanging out with youngster Maxi with plenty of flirty displays between the two individuals. Unsurprisingly we could see Queen remaining close to Maxi as she ensured B-Slice behaved himself and it is during these times we see the matriarchs important purpose of chaperone. It is a big responsibility leading the family pod and for Queen some days there is even more to do than just search for and provide food for the family. Queen is vitally important to teaching her pod members about Orca language, culture and manners within their fascinating society. Western Australia Orca tours are a fantastic opportunity to meet these apex predators and spend some time in their incredible world.
