Tag: Bottlenose Dolphin

The epic Humpback Whale migration never ceases to amaze with the extraordinary journey and achievement made by our Western Australian Humpbacks one of the longest mammal migrations known in the world. The extreme lengths they will go to for the survival of the next generation is inspiring as females travel to the extremes of our WA coastline, the heat of the Kimberly providing a tropical oasis nursery ground. Their calves grow and develop quickly in these suitable conditions and by the time they are ready to leave the nursery grounds they have doubled in size. A female and her calf were travelling towards the Humpback Highway today and there was absolutely nothing that was going to interrupt her focus as we joined on their journey and matched the energy of this lovely pod.

The female was beautiful with a white belly that extended up her flanks and old scarring provided for a very pretty and unique appearance. Her little calf may have been one of the smaller babies that we have sighted this season but he had a very big personality and would swim in closer to have a better look at us every chance he could. Always a privilege to observe the epic Humpback Whale migration and watch as an incredible journey which began in April/May this year almost nears its end. This little family still has approximately 5,000km to travel before they arrive in the feeding grounds of Antarctica. Wishing them well as they headed for the Leeuwin Current we were very excited to see an Albatross gliding straight towards us as he pivoted and turned providing us with some special moments to capture such a beautiful seabird we would normally only sight when further out to sea. The local Bottlenose Dolphins including the cheeky Hiccups also greeted us this morning as they busily hunted in the marina for their breakfast of fresh fish. A change of season could be felt as the full moon appeared casting an eye over the waiting tankers not far from the Port of Fremantle.

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The growth of Scarborough Beach is expanding and so has the Humpbacks of Western Australia, never before have we seen so many whales so close to our coastline as we enjoyed Scarborough Highrise Humpbacks today. This year celebrated the 40 year anniversary to the end of whaling in Australia and in only a very short amount of time the Humpbacks of Western Australia have gone from near extinction to the largest population in the world, how remarkable is that! Today we noticed a glimmer on the surface of a small Humpback calf when suddenly mum launched into spectacular head lunges over and over again. Her enormous body landed with a loud thud that could be heard for many kilometres all around and her beautiful frame had the backdrop of Scarborough Beach Highrise.

A large and mature female who seemed to be moving out of the area with speed as a large ship approached her resting zone. Joining with the pod gently it wasn’t long before the mature female had built a trust with us and both mother and calf came over for a closer look. Curiously approaching us and by now having found a suitable spot the mother disappeared below while her calf showed signs of feeding. Circling above mum before swimming straight back down to her and back up again every few minutes was a sure sign this little one was having a good feed. Once dinner time was over they both continued on their way and went into Humpback Whale cruise mode with beautiful fluke dives from mum. A special privilege to enjoy the Scarborough Highrise Humpbacks and watch as not only our city grows but also the strength of the Western Australian Humpback population. This female is one of the strongest and healthiest we have seen so late in the season and her robust calf was also a reflection of her good health. As our coastlines grow it is important that we remember our whale populations are growing too and how exciting to have our whales just off our local beaches!

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The Humpback Whale migration is sighted along the Western Australian coastline without fail every year, a true dedication from Western Australian Humpbacks. The journey is one of the longest known migrations of any mammal in the world and can take up to six months and a round trip of 13,000 kilometres long. The Humpback Whale migration is a vital part of our ecosystem and now that the Western Australian Humpbacks have recovered to over 40,000 individuals we are seeing our ecosystem flourish with their presence as they travel north and south year in, year out.

Although the epic Humpback migration is slowly coming to its completion for season 2018 we are still sighting mothers and calves gently travelling southward and today we also had the local Bottlenose Dolphins actively feeding with fluke slapping being used to stun the fish they were organising for lunch. This morning we met two mums and calves relaxing in the shallows as we joined with the slightly older and larger calf who was highly curious towards us and approached with mum by his side. As we were watching this lovely pod we had the very unfortunate situation of a small recreational vessel moving at speed directly towards them. Although we used our horn and radio to try and alert them they did not slow and moved directly over the top of where mother and calf were only a meter or so below the surface. To our relief they both were not struck by the vessel and immediately moved away from the area at great speed, understandably startled by the event and especially the calf who was trumpeting and fluke swiping which are both agitated behaviours.

Observing the pod carefully it was an opportunity to see how long it would take for both mother and calf to settle back to that relaxed frame of mind and after twenty minutes the calf had reverted back to his normal self and even appeared to have a feed of milk from mum. We must be so very careful when out on the water about our surroundings at all times, it is a great responsibility and privilege to be on the ocean and we must always have an awareness of our surroundings, just like our whales do. Thankfully for mother and calf they both escaped injury or harm and it will be a very important lesson for the calf to be wary of vessels approaching at high speeds and will hopefully protect them both from a similar incident in the future. Our Humpback Whales migration is an extraordinary achievement and we must do everything possible to ensure that we assist them in every way possible to achieve their goal of making a successful journey back to Antarctica and not hinder their efforts in any way.

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When a Humpback calf is at play it can be easy for them to be distracted, especially when a curious Bottlenose Dolphin comes over to join in on the fun! Today a gorgeous calf and his mum were cruising along when the little one decided we looked rather interesting and with mums permission slowly approached (mum was following right next to him of course) and swam towards our bow. As we continued to get to know this pod better we watched as they enjoyed the beautiful morning and the calf played with anything he could find to amuse himself including seaweed, his mum and also us.

A small dorsal fin was noticed moving towards us and we smiled as we recognised the lone male Bottlenose Dolphin who we often sight frequenting the area we were in. He was interested in what fun the calf was having and made a gentle approach. The calf seemed so very pleased to have another play mate and within moments he was chasing him along the surface of the water, his little rostrum held above the surface as he looked over towards us before continuing the chase after his Dolphin friend. It was at this moment he completely forgot about mum and was 10-15 meters away from her and continuing to follow his new buddy. Thankfully mum is always constantly aware of what is happening and launched into a big tail lob to assert her authority over the pod and get control of the situation. Immediately her calf returned back to her side and Mr. Dolphin waited a few minutes before rejoining again, understanding that it was important to do as mum said even when a Humpback Calf is enjoying a little bit of playtime. Two large adults were also cruising past in an escort pod as their enormous size and sleepy demeanour meant that they had been holding their breath for the last half an hour only a few hundred meters away from the mother, calf and Bottlenose Dolphin.

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We were eye to eye with a Humpback Whale today as a gorgeous calf breached just off our bow bringing her eyes above water level and wide open looking back at us! A brilliant moment to enjoy as this young calf and her curiosity created an environment full of energy and excitement. Breaching, pec slapping and a cheeky peduncle slap as she approached to display her dominance towards us as we sat perfectly still and watched her little rostrum skimming the surface as she swam directly at us. A quick round out dive and she disappeared below for a few moments as we kept an eye all around. Whoosh, her exhalation erupted just to our port side and she seemed pleased with her control of everyone on the boat as we excitedly watched her every move and enjoyed every moment we were eye to eye with a Humpback Whale calf. Following her around in circles onboard we watched as she dived underneath us and popped up on the other side enjoying her game of hide and seek while mums silhouette soon appeared and we watched as it grew stronger.

A beautiful female surfaced and we met mum for the first time as she also curiously approached us after having spent the last fifteen minutes sitting directly below. Her beautiful skin, large size and beauty was just wonderful to be next to as we watched a mother Humpback Whale in her absolute prime. Just like humans, every female will reach a peak in their reproductive lives and this female was at that peak with a healthy calf and herself having a healthy, strong body as she enjoyed the beautiful day. Numerous mothers and calves were also resting close by and the calm conditions allowed for the calves to frolic in the shallows next to their mums while listening in to the other pods surrounding them. The local Bottlenose Dolphins stopped by for a quick hello and we watched as the impressive Australian Navy submarine cruised past on our way back into port as we waved back to our Diggers.

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Responsible whale watching takes patience and a full understanding of The Language of the Whales™ to understand how we must act when in the company of our whales. Mothers and calves especially are very sensitive to aggressive, erratic and frantic movements of a vessel and this can change the entire energy of the whales within the resting grounds. To ensure a responsible whale watching experience it is important to respect the rules that are in place when approaching whales and for the duration of time that you are with them. The below diagram is an example of the correct approach ensuring a safe interaction for the whales, mothers and calves require a minimum distance of 300 meters and speed of five knots creating no wake. When these rules are also incorporated with matching the energy levels of the pod we can enjoy a curious and natural encounter with the magnificent whales of WA.

Our first mother and calf pod we met were skimming the surface and the calf even opened his mouth wide so we could catch a glimpse of his baleen, a very special sight indeed! Watching the movement of this pod they appeared to be being followed and it wasn’t until a few minutes later we could see who was causing the chase… a young Humpback who would have been no more than 2-3 years of age. Cheekily he was swimming along with mother and calf looking to socialise but the female politely and in her own way managed to distract him enough by swimming underneath and beside us that she had a window of opportunity to make a break and no longer have him following them. Now just the two of them remained and the female appeared to take that time to feed her hungry calf and came to a complete stop right underneath our bow. We could see in the 11 meter shallow water her shadow and that of the calf nuzzled underneath her having a delicious drink of milk. Leaving them to continue their breakfast we joined up with a few other of the mothers and calves resting in the area and we were so pleased to re-sight the pod we had met on Wednesday. The gorgeous calf was still Mr. Confident and as soon as he spied us came swimming over with mum following after him, he is a lucky calf to have such a patient mum and we guess that comes with experience and a more mature age!

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Amazing Hillarys whale watch experience today as we met an enormous female Humpback and her very confident calf who both launched into a spectacular breaching display! Slowly cruising when we first met them we made sure to match their energy levels on this beautiful day as mother and calf travelled just off the Hillarys whale watch coastline. The calf appeared to be very comfortable as he traveled a few meters ahead of his mum and as she allowed him to position himself in-between herself and us we knew she trusted us. Building this trust with a Humpback Whale mum is a beautiful thing as we understand just how fiercely protective they are of their calves so to allow us to view a glimpse of their busy lives is a privilege that we must never take for granted.

The calf appeared to disappear for a couple of five minute intervals in-between coming to the surface to breath and we had a sure feeling that this little Humpback was having a good feed of mums 48% fat rich milk. Almost to signal the end of feed time and that he was ready to play the young calf launched into an amazing breach as his entire body left the Indian Ocean which left for only one thing to take over, gravity! “Plonk” as he flipped upside down and his rostrum was first to hit the surface again in a hilariously fun breach, but his mum decided to show him just how its done and launched into a picture perfect breach that was simply spectacular. The breaching didn’t stop there as the young calf continued to fly high and land with a beautiful splash into perfect conditions as he refined his style a little bit before throwing in a little chin slap/head lunge for good measure before swimming directly towards us to get a better look. Mum patiently escorted him over and what a special mum she is, her weight loss is extreme and we can clearly see her eye sockets just before she lands after her breach in the photo above showing just how much dedication these females have to their calves.

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Cottesloe Beach Whales created quite the scene today as a competition pod of three males raced at full speed in pursuit of a female along busy Cottesloe Beach! A remarkable spectacle to observe as we sighted the beginning of the initial formation of this pod and with great intensity and speed they charged along at almost full speed (around 16-18 kilometres per hour) as the female played clever tactics to see which male was the fittest. Travelling in shallow water only 12 meters deep there was no room to dive so the female focused on speed moving quickly and changing direction frequently. A male Humpback cannot surface before the others when in such an intense competition pod in fear of loosing his place in line so must surface when everyone else does. This means that only the males with the largest and strongest lung capacity can keep up with the female, compete, change direction and think all at th same time! Isn’t it incredible to understand that these males have not eaten since late April/May this year yet still give their absolute all in competition when the opportunity arises.

The mothers and calves we had met earlier in the morning were enjoying some relax time and keeping a low profile as they could hear and sense the energy of these boisterous males well before we started the formation of the competition pod. The intensity a male brings to the environment when competing is not all that suitable for young calves who need to rest, feed and socialise. Being chased by the males will result in the calf not being able to feed or rest regularly and upsetting mums planned cycle putting extra strain on both of their migrations. Thankfully the young female Humpback Whale today seems to have no troubles in having the three mature adult males chasing after her and kept their focus entirely on her instead of the mother and calves resting close by. A very exciting morning to be out and also enjoy the company of a few of the local Bottlenose Dolphins as we watched Cottesloe Beach Whales enjoying a beautiful weekend in the Western Australian sunshine!

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It was another exciting day with our Humpbacks showing surface action all the way from Fremantle to the Hillarys Boat Harbour. We first met up with some dolphins as they tail slapped their way just off of North Mole picking up an early morning feed and whilst we sat and watched them the action could be seen all the way up the coast past Cottesloe, City Beach, Scarborough, North Beach, Watermans, Mullaloo with Whale Watching Hillarys Boat Harbour as the main action for whale watchers was on display in force. We were approached by a large female with a very light coloured calf sticking to her like a ramora fish as a very large adult male kept trying to attract her attention, of which, she wanted nothing to do with. Again and again she would approach our vessel at speed and dive under to use our vessel as a block against the big male however he would not be denied and followed her for over an hour. At one point she brought the calf to within a few feet of our bow and only then did the big male’s energy move from her to us!

He came in close and gave us a big eyeball followed by an intense couple of minutes where he was showing his size and rolling around the female and around us, just letting us know she was his girl and he was ready to compete for her. This attention on us gave the environment a chance to settle and the small pod slowed and seem to relax a bit as the male took on more of an escort roll than an immediate suitor.

Many other whales were breaching off in the distance and as the Language of the Whales can cover vast distances it set off a domino effect and once again the whale watching from Hillarys Boat Harbour to Fremantle started up again in force, at this time the mother, calf and big male again started to move west at speed but not as intense as the first encounter. This Saturday is our inaugural VIP Captains Lounge Hillarys Day Tour whereby you can now get picked up and chauffeured from Hillarys Boat Harbour to fremantle and enjoy the Captains lounge experience, have a seafood lunch and shopping in Fremantle and the visit AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia) at the Hillarys Boat Harbour all within the same day, so grab a few friends and we will chauffeur you from Hillarys to Fremantle and enjoy a day with the Western Australian Humpback Whales.

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Our Whale Watching tour out of Fremantle today revealed some of Fremantle’s best whale watching we have witnessed this southern migration 2018. We were first captured by a pod of Dolphins hunting and feeding close to North Mole and the mouth of the Swan River and watched as they tail slapped to stun the small fish and had to be very quick to gobble them up as Gannets dived constantly to steal their hard earned meal. We then ventured to the west and caught up with a Mother & Calf as they were being escorted by not one, but two male Humpbacks as they headed further out past the local traffic. Then on the horizon for the second time in as many weeks this season the excited blows of numerous whales all heading in the same direction. Once we caught up with them we discovered that the attraction was a younger female which was being trailed by up to 27 male Humpback Whales at speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour, which is high speed for any Humpback Whale. The Pod grew larger and larger as more Whales, like us, were attracted to the vigorous workout that the competition pod was conducting. It seemed at times the whole of Gage Roads was full of Whales in a frantic dance to entice the female and defend against the other suitors as Whale after Whale approached from every direction as we observed Fremantle’s best whale watching on a magnificent morning.

Time stood still and before we knew it we had to leave our friends as they continued on their high speed love tryst. On returning closer to Fremantle we came across as Mother & Calf as they crossed the channel to the south, as there was many ferries and private craft in the area we stood by as they crossed the main channel and as we watched, an old pearl lugger appeared from nowhere and we were fortunate enough to get a photo of our WA Humpback Whale with calf and the lugger in the background. Our families history is steeped in Pearling and it was a very reflective moment for us all as memories of years gone past flooded back as strong as a Kimberly spring tide. What a privilege it has been to spend so much time on the greatest coastline in the world.

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The fluke of a Humpback Whale is their fingerprint and every fluke speaks a thousand words about the story of every whale we are privileged to meet. Scarring, algae and even previous entanglement injuries can all be seen on the fluke of a whale and explains to us what has happened in their lives, both past and present. Our journey today was filled with many different pods including mothers and calves, adult escort pods and even a group of five young adults socialising together. A very different migration pattern is being experienced this season compared to last as the typical flow of juveniles, pregnant females, adults and mother/calf pods on the southern migration is now slightly jumbled with a large mix of different age groups being sited on each of our tours.

The first mother, calf and escort pod were keeping a watchful hear open to everything that was happening around them with a few protective tail lobs to keep their personal space clear. The calf quickly followed the lead of the escort male as he pivoted his head down and threw his small fluke skywards. Two large adults were cruising in shallow water while a mother and her large calf quickly raced towards us and then alongside to avoid the adults from getting too close as they travelled past. The clouds cleared and as we approached our fourth pod we could see the local Bottlenose Dolphins interacting with them. All five adults and 10+ Dolphins twisted and turned together while enjoying their social interaction. Approaching our bow for a closer look it wasn’t long before we were accepted into the pod and enjoyed watching them gracefully play. One individual lifted his fluke vertically above the surface in a tail sailing behaviour, but instead of trying to cool down this young whale was simply having some fun in the sun with his buddies and showing off his headstand!

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A privilege to experience Perth whale watching at its finest today with extraordinary surface activity from large adult Humpback Whales who launched 45 tonnes into the atmosphere in spectacular fashion! Our first pod of mother, calf and male escort were travelling towards a pod of two sub adults who were pec slapping and breaching to encourage their approach. Upon their arrival the enormous male escort launched into a full bodied breach and quickly followed with a powerful head lunge to establish his dominance towards the sub adults. They joined together for a short while and all together were joining in with pectoral fin slapping and breaching as they enjoyed a social interaction.

The escort pod continued in the opposite direction as the subadults moved towards a third pod up ahead, breaching and pec slapping as they went. One of the subadults was even having a cheeky look at us every time she breached as her beautiful eye could be seen looking back towards us. Further surface activity could be sighted all around with breaching creating a colourful display of white water splashes along the horizon as The Language of the Whales™ was in full swing. Meeting a further two pods and playful Bottlenose Dolphins we were just about to head back towards the port of Fremantle after a brilliant experience Perth whale watching when our familiar mother, calf and escort pod surfaced alongside. The energetic male escort was really flirting with the female with showy fluke slaps, tail lobs and even pectoral slapping as he showed off his big white belt to the female. She seemed more focused on her calf though and her little one was having an absolute ball as he repeated each of the males behaviours, even inverted tail slapping which was very talented indeed!

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