Whale Watching Perth 2020 begins today in the waters just off Fremantle as the Language of the Whales™ flowed and we found ourselves surrounded by Humpback Whales. A beautiful day as we celebrated an earlier start to the southern migration this year, we are enjoying the second last day of winter and spring on the human calendar has not yet technically arrived, but with a strong heatwave moving through further north we have found the whales flooding south. The first wave of whale traffic to head south are the juveniles, yearlings and newly pregnant females. A very exciting time of the season for them as on the journey back down the Western Australian coastline they find a bit more time in their days to socialise and relax amongst friends in the sheltered resting grounds found off our coastline. Breaching on the horizon drew our attention towards a very busy area as dozens of Humpbacks moved through, communicating amongst each other with breaching, pec slapping and fluke slapping lighting up the waters off Rottnest Island.
It was Sunday social as three seperate pods began to converge and we had seven Humpback Whales mingling together. The whales were almost as excited as we were (almost!) as they surrounded us and we Joined The Pod®. One of the younger whales began to pec slap repeatedly and encouraged the attention of the others to follow her around and underneath the boat. Their confidence began to build and as the pec slapping continued she then decided it was breaching time, launching only a few meters from us. It was extraordinary to witness as the breaching continued so close and we could see she was enticing the others to follow. They enthusiastically moved with her as they swam in circles around us, so close we could hear every breath and count each barnacle! We had well and truly been welcomed into the pod and even as the two older whales departed, the juveniles stayed with us as a further four whales approached and playtime continued with gusto. A perfect morning to kick-start the Whale Watching Perth 2020 season as the whales welcomed us with open pectorals and we celebrated the beginning of the southern migration.