The Perth Canyon in Western Australia was overflowing with Australian Blue Whales today, we interacted with 13 individuals and had sightings of over 20 Blue Whales throughout our experience. Everywhere we looked the tall blows of Blue Whales broke the surface of perfectly calm seas and a pod of Striped Dolphins flew seven meters high into the air as they showed off their arial acrobatics. Our official record of ten Australian Blue Whales was broken today as we reached a new record of total Blue Whale interactions in one day, thirteen and we were surrounded by over twenty!
Different behaviours were sighted today with a pod of two individuals showing possible courtship behaviour as they chased each other around the Perth Canyon. Feeding was the main focus of most today as they would exchange breathe at the surface and prepare for their next sounding dive. One large Blue that we were travelling with sent cheers of joy as the massive seven meter wide fluke raised above the waters surface in the most spectacular sounding dive. Sighting the fluke of a Blue Whale is very elusive indeed and we felt fortunate today as we watched this powerful movement of a sounding Blue Whale dive.
The Striped Dolphins were putting on a big social display of tail slapping, porpoising and most incredibly seven meter high breaches! Our first sighting of them was muffled as the splashes of breaching appeared off in the distance and it first appeared to be blows from a Sperm Whale. Approaching a bit closer we could see the silvery bodies leaping meters into the air and new we had the acrobatics of the sea putting on an impressive display of social behaviour. Known for their arial acrobatics it was amazing to see full body somersaults lighting up the Perth Canyon with energy from these specially patterned oceanic dolphins. A perfect ending to what will be a day to always remember and set the mark for the most Blue Whales ever encountered in one day aboard Whale Watch Western Australia.
