Whales sighted near Rottnest Island today as mums and calves frolicked in the protected waters and enjoyed every moment during their stay. A few younger mums were observed today as these females are likely to have only had a couple of calves so far in their life. Most females will have their first calf around six to nine years of age and one calf every two to three years after that, but calving rates are highly variable from female to female. Younger mums are still growing themselves and need time to gain weight after each baby which could be an extra one or two summers in the feeding grounds longer than older females with a mature body size. Today these young mums showed off their beautiful babies who were all very healthy and full of energy. One little calf in particular was doing a good job protecting mum with a few dominant tail lobs and it is always great to see these calves practicing the Language of the Whales.
Our midday enjoyed the company of more mums and bubs with our first pod very seaweed focused. The little one was twisting and rolling around in the floating seaweed for ages as mother whale watched on nearby. Every so often she would launch into a massive tail lob to deter the other pods moving past nearby creating a very spectacular amount of white water. The little one was undeterred as he continued to chase after the seaweed enthusiastically. Our second pod nearby was a mother, escort and calf who were also playful as mum was calling out for further playmates with gentle pec slapping. It was really lovely seeing so many calves today and observing them all to be very healthy and strong, a great indicator they are ready for the next phase of their migration south to Antarctica.
