Tag: Bottlenose Dolphin

The Humpback highway at Rottnest Island was peak hour today as dozens of Humpbacks communicated The Language of the Whales™ with spectacular surface activity as everywhere from our bow to the horizon was surrounded by breaching! Beginning our journey with a mature female, calf and escort we enjoyed our time with them before the breaching began straight ahead and the horizon filled with white water created by tonnes of weight hitting the surface. Approaching one of the pods we met the most fantastic calf who was the star of the Humpback highway as he breached and showed off his aerodynamics. He was communicating to an approaching mother and calf pod who also responded occasionally with a breach of their own until eventually both pods joined together.

Although they had now joined together it didn’t stop this young male calf from continuing his breaching, spurred on by the surface activity further ahead, to the left and to the right as we were completely surrounded by Humpback Whales. A pod of adults straight ahead seemed to capture the focus of this energetic calf and he beelined straight towards them with continuos breaching. The adults were focused amongst themselves though with big pectoral fin slapping as a female flirted with two adult males. The breaching calf, mum and male escort continued moving towards the adults and their companion pod of mother and calf decided that was a bit too much activity happening ahead so departed with a few peduncle slaps as mum taught her calf how to protect your space. A truly remarkable day out on the Humpback highway and what a privilege to spend time with our superstars!

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Today we had a meeting with an old friend at Rottnest Island… but we didn’t know this meeting would be in place until we spied each other in the crowd! A very special whale whom we sighted last year who has only half of his left pectoral fin remaining left a big impression on us and today we jumped with joy to see this wonderful whale once again as that unmistakable pectoral broke the surface. He certainly recognised us before we remembered him as his social interaction with another whale paused briefly as he raced straight over towards us and once his pectoral broke the surface we instantly knew who he was, our dear old friend who we had not seen in over a year! It is always a joyous occasion to meet any whale but when we have built a friendship with such a special whale over a year ago and meeting again today it felt like nothing had changed, how wonderful is that! Our magnificent whales always bring so much joy to our lives and we couldn’t be happier to see our dear friend looking well and living the Humpback life socialising and frolicking just off Rottnest Island.

It was fascinating to watch as he enjoyed practicing duelling flukes with his buddy just off our bow, exactly the same behaviour we sighted from him on the 18th of September last season. A mother and her calf along with a juvenile Humpback Whale were also joining in the conversation as we watched a perfect example of the Language of the Whales™ as each pod communicated towards each other with spectacular surface activity. A very special day that even had the local Bottlenose Dolphins coming over to check things out while we enjoyed every moment catching up with our old mate at the local hangout near Rottnest Island, how good it was to see him again!

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The Humpback Whales at Cottesloe Beach were communication The Language of the Whales™ today with breaching, tail lobs and high energy all around. A mother, calf and her male escort had caught the attention of two nearby males and the chase had begun. The mother and her calf raced towards us and dived below our bow to try and deter the following males who still keenly followed. The two bachelor males sent their energy right through the surrounding coastline and nearby mother and calf pods responded with breaching and head lunging, do not come over this way they were saying! Noticing a couple of the local Bottlenose Dolphins cruise past our bow and approach further Humpback Whales at Cottesloe Beach we decided to follow and it wasn’t long before the friendly Bottlenose Dolphins had met a young juvenile Humpback and they began to socialise together.

The juvenile Humpback seemed oblivious to the fact that the Dolphins were leading him straight towards us where he finally noticed us only a few meters in front of the bow as he slowed to check hinge out. Circling towards our stern he lifted his flukes high above the surface and slapped them back down a couple of times, two more adults were approaching! These two large adults took over the situation and the area which they now regarded as their own, poor Mr. Juvenile now had to watch us from afar as these two larger whales had a good look at us. Suddenly on their next resurfacing the large male launched himself into an incredible tail lob right alongside our vessel, he was letting everyone know including us that this was his female. The mother,calf and male escort had by this time moved further back towards us and now that the two following males had changed their focus the calf gained some confidence from the male escort who had also tail lobbed a little earlier and tried his very own tail lob and tail slapping…how quickly they Learn the Language of the Whales™!

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In the shadows of Hillarys Boat Harbour we had a magnificent morning with the whales of Western Australia as the first Humpback calves of our southern migration were sighted with much excitement and surprise! Arriving slightly earlier than in previous seasons, these two little ones were sighted happily swimming alongside their mums and enjoying the beautiful day we were whale watching Hillarys. Our first interaction was with two large adults travelling in an escort pod who seemed interested in everything happening around them and showed off a perfect double fluke dive. The first mother and calf pod were then sighted with baby playing with a couple of the local Bottlenose Dolphins. The young Dolphin calf was breaching and fluke slapping towards the Humpback calf… very protective of his mum and a wonderful example of the Language of the Whales™ from these babies!

Mum then began to make her way towards us so both could have a good look at everyone, it was then that we noticed yet another mother and calf pod just to our right who were also making an approach. Seeming to be taking turns in checking out the boat each pod had a good look before continuing to return back to their morning of resting and feeding in the sheltered waters. A breach launching skyward was seen to our left as a young juvenile female caught our attention along with her travel buddy. Unfortunately for this young lady we could see her dorsal fin was missing and on closer inspection we could rule out Orca attack due to her fluke being very clean and also no obvious rake teeth marks. It appears that this young Humpback Whale may have survived an entanglement with familiar rope scarring and even some sunburn scars along her back. Thankfully, she was in good spirits and seemed very healthy with her scarring appearing to be older and we hope to re-sight her in future season when whale watching Hillarys.

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The whales off Rotto were enjoying magical conditions today with warm sunshine, calm seas and water so clear we could see into their watery world. The Bottlenose Dolphins created a splash as they moved together across the oceans surface and once they spied us it wasn’t long until they were swimming and porpoising alongside. Their curious nature is always lovely to observe and we could easily see them swivelling their heads left then right to get a better look at us. Due to not being able to see directly above them we often notice a lot of this “head nodding” behaviour as they twist themselves so that they get a better view of all of their admirers!

The first Humpback Whale we met today was a very large adult who appeared to be a male with fresh scarring and small wounds indicating a very busy breeding season for this adult. He cruised with an enormous lung capacity which carried him at a steady pace of 3-8 kilometres per hour in a determined migratory mode. The second pod of whales off Rotto a few hundred meters to his left did not disturb him and he moved past them in a very straight line. The two slightly smaller adults did however notice his passing and awoke from their slumber to investigate further. After following him for a short while they then turned their attention towards us as they circled behind and below our vessel having a good look. The beautiful tail dives showed off one very unique fluke with a lovely black spot that we will be keeping an eye open for in future seasons for the visiting whales off Rotto.

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The Humpbacks of Western Australia are certainly a social group who love to spend time relaxing and enjoying the Western Australian coastal lifestyle. Four friendly individuals were dancing next to our bow as they twisted and turned to show off their best moves. The local Bottlenose Dolphins always seem to know when there is fun to be had and showed up just on time to join in with the social party in a beautiful scene of Humpback Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins enjoying some relax time. The mindset of our south bound Humpbacks of Western Australia is now focused on the nutrient rich waters of Antarctica, the strong urge to head north and find a mate is slowly subsiding. This change of focus now means they have more time to socialise as they wait for the right temperature gate before continuing south and we could see this very social scene today with many Humpbacks all around us.

A young yearling was displaying his strength to a few others with some active peduncle and fluke slapping, possibly in slight frustration as he appeared to be kicked out of the main social group or perhaps he was  a little on the shy side as he moved straight towards us to avoid detection from the others. A few distant breaches and head lunges soon caught his attention and he was off once again racing towards the commotion. The Language of the Whales™ is always fascinating to watch with many different pods around as we can easily sight the active decision making happening amongst each whale, should I stay here or head over and say hello? The four individuals who decided to head over and say hello also included us in their social pod which was a privilege to be accepted into their pod as they played alongside our vessel while the Dolphins also joined in on the fun.

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There are never two days the same when whale watching and little did we know of the surprises that were install for us today while whale watching off Perth. A large V shaped blow rocketed skyward and we were amazed to see not one but two Southern Right Whales. The sightings of Southern Right Whales in and around the waters of Perth are not common with numbers slowly on the increase we hope that this will change and after our three cow/calf pods last season we now have two Southern Rights for the start of Perth season 2018. The next surprise came as we watched one of the individuals surface and jumped with joy to see that this beautiful whale was a white calf that is now all grown up! The fantastic colours and markings of dark grey body scattered with black dots was clear to see and this incredible sighting of two Southern Right Whales relaxing in the sheltered waters off Perth made our day, but we had one more surprise yet.

Playful Bottlenose Dolphins and a few Flesh Footed Shearwater and a lone Albatross feeding on leftover cuttlefish were enjoying the morning when suddenly two sleek dorsal fins appeared in front of the bow, “Minke” we all called as the unique body of these lovely whales are now permanently ingrained in our memory after multiple days of Dwarf Minke Whale sightings. Sure enough, there they were with two large adults cruising together and moving towards where our Southern Right Whales had been resting. A sneaky shadow moving below our bow caught our attention as a slightly smaller individual peeled away from the other two and decided it was a lovely morning for some people watching! Around and around he went in typical Minke style as he investigated every inch of our vessel before focusing his attention on guests standing on our water level viewing platform. A beautiful encounter to be engaged with such an intensely focused Minke who even spy hopped vertically on the bow looking at everyone looking back at him… such a special moment!
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The first day of spring began with much excitement as a rare Minke Whale was sighted on a special day of whale watching. Two adult Humpbacks had been on the move when they took great interest in us and moved straight over to say hello, swimming around to our bow and then stern to investigate our propulsion. They seemed slightly distracted and quickly we found out why… a beautiful Dwarf Minke Whale surfaced right on our bow! The gorgeous sleek rostrum broke the surface as one of the smallest baleen whale species to visit Western Australian waters came over to check us out. The white pectoral fins glowed below the surface as this cheeky Minke circled around and around us, each surfacing was anticipated with more excitement than the last to sight a wonderfully rare species.

Although the Southern Hemisphere population is regarded to be healthy, sighting a Minke Whale in Western Australian waters is very rare as their migratory pattern and movement is not well known at this stage. Identification images have been collected and we hope this lovely Minke will teach us more about the movement of the Western Australian Minke Whale should he be re-sighted again. The two Humpback Whales certainly didn’t want the Minke Whale to capture all of the attention as they continued to stick close to us and were enjoying the time relax. The local male Bottlenose Dolphins including popular Swan River resident male Hii greeted us in the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour after a morning of chasing their breakfast and eating the freshest of seafood! A wonderful southern Humpback migration awaits as the whale populations of Western Australia begin their movement south to the feeding grounds of summer in Antarctica.

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The 2018 southern Humpback migration has begun as the transition of north turns to south as the hungry bellies of juvenile and adult Humpback Whales leads them home. The first to head back south towards the waters of Antarctica are the yearlings, juveniles, young adults and pregnant females who will need to begin feeding very soon to continue their growth or in the case of now expecting females, prepare for their newborn calves arrival in 2019. The local Bottlenose Dolphins said a big hello this morning as beautiful calm conditions were enjoyed after a passing storm front over the last few days. Australasian Gannets and Cormorants were busy feeding as we sighted a blow to the right.

The silhouette of a dorsal fin broke the surface and with much excitement we met one of the first few whales that have begun their southern Humpback migration for season 2018. He seemed very relaxed as he lifted his fluke providing the perfect view of his fingerprint, the unique markings and shape of every tail fluke is special to that individual whale and what we use to identify Humpback Whales. Looking to be in good health and enjoying the wonderfully calm conditions as this young whale prepares for the right moment to continue the southern Humpback migration and slowly make his way back down the coast and arrive in the icy, nutrient rich waters of Antarctica.

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Augusta we would like to thank you for yet another incredible season as we celebrate what has been our best season in Augusta yet! Wonderful weather, thousands of healthy whales and of course our brilliant guests and locals whose happy smiles and passion for the whales who visit Flinders Bay is inspiring. Beginning in late May we sighted the epic northern Humpback migration as record breaking numbers moved through Flinders Bay with anywhere from 30-150 Humpbacks sighted per day, everyday until mid July. Our Southern Right Whales then arrived and took over the bay as usual from mid July onwards with their social encounters and spectacular breaching displays. Newborn calves including the famous Stacka continue to improve the Australian Southern Right Whale population and this season we also sighted a high level of courtship/mating Southern Right Whale pods when compared to previous seasons which is very rare to sight and means many more babies in 2019!

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse kept a watchful eye over us throughout the season and special encounters included six breaches in under sixty seconds, an incredible survival of one very tough Bottlenose Dolphin who survived a shark attack and continues to heal, little Sunny the calf and his mum Spirit (mum was proudly named Spirit by the Augusta Primary School Children) who created one of the most incredible interactions we have ever had as she used our vessel to help save her calf and now both are a global sensation with their story being shared around the world. A brand new dolphin calf for the local pod was also born this year and has already made friends with the visiting whales while intense rainbows and white flukes added an incredible touch of colour to our season.

We are truly blessed as Western Australians to have a treasure in the magnificent Augusta, she has welcomed millions of whales and provides shelter through the storm to those who need it most. A unique and precious place that we must always protect and ensure that one of the most important home away from homes for our migrating whales always remains that way for them and for the people who love them the most, the whale guardians of the world. We are always grateful for the opportunity and responsibility we have at Whale Watch Western Australia to bring you to their world and teach you the Language of the Whales™ and we are already counting down the days to season 2019!❤️

A perfect way to complete Season 2018 in Augusta with both our morning and afternoon tours enjoying rare interactions with mating Southern Right Whales which leaves us now even more excited for Season 2019 as we anticipate the arrival of brand new baby Southern Right Whales! A magnificent day with five adult whales indulging in courtship behaviour on our morning departure as they rolled, twisted and turned with double spy hops and powerful exhalations. One of the younger individuals swam over towards us and seemed to be acting as a bodyguard as he kept a watchful eye on us. The four other adults did not seem to mind our company and moved towards the vessel as each took a turn looking at everyone on the bow carefully as they rolled their eye out of the water to get a better view, incredible! Watching five 80,000 kilogram whales move with such grace is extraordinary.

The gentle cloud cover enveloped Augusta as the afternoon approached and we journeyed into the glassy conditions. Bottlenose Dolphins moved gently at the surface as we approached two juvenile Southern Right Whales who seemed rather playful and as we sat watching they both swam directly at the bow to have a good look at everyone. Two separate pods then surfaced only meters away as four large adults congregated together including one enormous individual who we did not recognise. Within moments a courtship pod had began and to add even more beauty to the occasion the local Bottlenose Dolphins also arrived on the scene. We sat in a calm and peaceful moment and enjoyed every last minute of our final tour for Season 2018 in Augusta. Gently waving goodbye to these marvellous whales we made our way back to the harbour and we had one final surprise, a tiny baby Southern Right Whale calf and mum were socialising with dolphins just outside the Augusta Boat Harbour. A magnificent way to complete another incredible season, thank you Augusta!

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Our morning was absolutely perfect, the most calm Southern Ocean you will ever see and not a whisper of wind as we made our way towards the Southern Right Whale nursery grounds. One, two, three… four mother and calf pods were all in a row including little Stacka who seemed to be taking over the playgroup! He was rolling all over his mum and showing off his beautiful white chin as he spy hopped and breached, mum seemed proud of her calf as she gently lifted him up on her back to get a better view of us as they cruised past our bow in the nursery grounds. The other calves were resting with one of the second calves enjoying a little bit of tail slapping practiced which captured Stacka’s attention who quickly spiralled up and out of the water in a spy hop to see what was going on. A few big breaches on the horizon showed signs of Humpback activity so we moved out towards where we had our last sighting. A tall blow rocketed skyward and we met a large adult Humpback who was cruising into the bay and seemed to be in search of something. Lifting his enormous flukes in picture perfect tail dives we watched his graceful movement through the bay.

Incredibly there were two mother and calf Humpbacks being chased by five males this afternoon and we recognised both mother/calf pods as females we have sighted before in Flinders Bay including Sunny the calf and his mum Spirit. The females did not seem to want to leave each other even though one of them had the opportunity to swim away, she returned back to the side of the second mother and calf seeming to understand the desperation of the situation. After being chased for over thirty minutes by the males and growing increasingly desperate, Sunny and his mum moved over towards our vessel and did not leave. The second mother and calf pod then left the area quickly to avoid detection from the males as they spotted the opportunity to do so.

Spirit pushed Sunny so close to us his body rubbed up against our hull as she blocked the approach of the males and protected her calf from being crushed. We could hear the distress in her exhalation as she trumpeted towards the males in aggression and Sunny was doing everything he could to follow mums directions. He was so trusting towards us as his tiny body flopped off mums back every time she resurfaced, he was looking for that security by travelling on her back for protection. She continued to stay with us and by doing so the other males eventually dispersed except for one, who continued to follow her closely.

Sighting this type of interaction is truly remarkable even in the natural nursery grounds further north in the Kimberly. To have the privilege of seeing this interaction in Flinders Bay, Augusta and being in a position to be accepted by the female Humpback to assist in saving her calf from immediate danger is something we will always treasure and a true once in a lifetime experience. Humpback Whales are one of the most remarkable whales in the world and today was a perfect example why, no situation is too great for these whales to find a way to adapt and succeed and we can all be inspired by that!

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