Western Australia Orcas were excited to see us today as from the beginning of our interaction to the end we were amazed to observe endless play and socialising amongst three family pods. It was a beautiful morning after a very windy start to the week but with winds easing throughout the night it was perfect Orca weather as we made our way out to The Patch. Queen, Alki and Cheryl had gathered together and amongst the haze were in an extremely social mood. It appeared they had either had a good day feeding on Monday or captured a decent meal in the early hours of this morning as the entire pod from calves to adults were in a marvellously playful mood. Surging, surfing, breaching, tail slapping and wrestling unfolded over the next four hours as they stretched out and enjoyed each others company. The calves were so very playful as they surrounded the Steep Point and wiggled their way all around us trying to chase each other before crashing into a cheeky tackle right on the bow.
It was brilliant to observe as Wandering Albatross soared around us and Shearwaters tracked the Orca amongst the deep blue of the Southern Ocean. Maddison came right up to the Craig-Pro and had a nice little investigation as she tried to figure out what that tiny camera is all about. Grace, Eddie, Slater barrelled in and disrupted Madisons focused look as they all began to wrestle once again. It is wonderful to see these calves from seperate family pods all interacting together and building bonds that will last a lifetime. Queen led her troops throughout the day and ensured everyone had ample time to play and socialise. She understands the importance of building friendships with other Orca families in the neighbourhood as when teamwork is needed to secure large baleen whales or hard to track Beaked Whales the more Orca involved in that process the better. A fascinating and exciting day with the Western Australia Orcas as they welcomed us into the days activities and allowed is to Join The Pod.
