Tag: Bottlenose Dolphin

Incredible sequence of events led us to be in a privileged position to get some incredible footage of how a Humpback Mother will defend her calf by all means necessary, including using our vessel as a protection barrier and the help of some heroic Dolphins. There are some erroneous opinions that Humpback Whales will abandon their calves which this footage explains why they will fight to the death to protect their young. The males do not wish to harm the calf at any stage but do want to mate with the Mother and in the competition the calf can become separated which is fatal.

The footage from Flinders Bay, Augusta today shows what we have experienced before but never as intense as the Mother brought her calf time and time again close into our vessel, even pushing herself and the calf slightly into our hull where the males could not go. For 40 minutes the Mother and calf kept very close to our vessel and as the intensity and focus diminished from the males until one left the area and the lone male then behaved himself enough to be welcomed as an escort.

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.

To everyones great surprise the bodyguards moved in as the local Bottlenose Dolphins raced towards the situation and surrounded mother and calf protectively. One of the dolphins was even sighted flashing their mouth wide and showing off his teeth towards the male Humpback! They could feel the energy between mother and calf who were slowly calming back down as the immediate danger of separation had settled slightly. The approach of a young male Humpback changed the mentality of the larger male in a good way as he now took ownership of mother and calf, defensively chasing the other male away and it was at this moment both Sunny and Spirit relaxed enough to now move away from our vessel. The large male now appeared to be acting as an escort for mother and calf and instead of chasing after them was now actively defending and chasing the younger male away.

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!

Download Photos Here

August is the perfect time to see the Southern Right Whales of Western Australia in the calm waters of Flinders Bay, Augusta. A perfect morning greeted us as we made our way towards a courtship pod of five adults who were actively mating with the males moving belly to belly with the female. Spy hoping and an enormous head lunge were sighted as we even noticed one of the adults open their mouth and we could see the immaculate row of baleen plates inside the upper jaw. A curious eye also appeared above the surface as we looked at the wide open eye of a Southern Right Whale looking back at us! The morning surprise was a cheeky female Australian Sea Lion who cruised underneath our bow and casually approached the courtship pod before spending the next 15 minutes chasing in and around the whales. Our Dolphin warrior was also re-sighted today and with a huge relief we could see he is now starting to heal with the wound site covered in a layer of blubber. Seeming to be relaxed he circled past our bow a couple of times allowing for a perfect opportunity to capture a few images to keep track of his progress and we hope he keeps up the incredible recovery.

The afternoon was just as beautiful with calm, warm conditions as the mothers and calves moved off the coast and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. Two of the adults from the mornings courtship pod were sighted resting and still “snuggling” with the male gently rolling next to the female and placing his pectoral fin on her. One of the younger calves was resting close to mum in the shallows waters close to the beach and mum slowly turned to her right side to allow the calf to have a better listen and look at us. Little Stacka and his mum were having some fun in the sun with Stacka showing off his beautify white chin and belly as he rolled and practiced his pec slapping. Mum seemed to be trying to discourage the continued efforts of Stacka for more milk and even though she rolled onto her back Stacka climbed right up and onto her belly! They enjoyed a quick cuddle before Stacka returned to his pec slapping and he certainly did look like he was showing off to us. Our final mother and calf were peacefully resting with an Aunty close by, another adult whale who helps to protect mother and calf during their time in the nursery grounds and one of the many reasons why we love spending time with the Southern Right Whales of Western Australia.

Download Photos Here

The Blackwood River has created coffee stained water surrounding the Southern Right Whale nursery grounds as they enjoy this extra cloak over cover. Their vision is very good, but by taking advantage of the murky conditions it enables mothers and calves to have an extra shield of protection. Two young adults were socialising with much rolling and twisting at the surface when the local Bottlenose Dolphins arrived in quite a spectacular fashion as they launched their entire bodies into the atmosphere! A perfect way to keep moving quickly while breathing and better yet have a fantastic view of everything that is happening around them. They must have spied the Southern Right Whales as they changed course and raced straight towards them.

Interactions between whales and dolphins is rare to see although it does happen frequently in the wild, for humans it is all about being in the right place at the right time. The adults raced in circles around the Right Whales who seemed bemused with their arrival. After saying hello they were off again as the Dolphins moved towards the Blackwood River to continue searching for their next meal. The Southern Right Whales have now taken over their corner of Flinders Bay with mothers and calves tucked in close to the shoreline and the breeding age adults enjoying slightly roomier conditions a few hundred meters from the coast. The males seem to have paired up with the available females for now with these separate courtship pods keeping a small distance between each other. The young yearling female also has found a friend around the same age group as herself to spend time with.

Download Photos Here

The Southern Right Whales were out in numbers in Flinders Bay, Augusta today as we enjoy the peak of our Southern Right Whale season. Calves were frolicking in the shallows with mum and practicing their tail and pec slapping while the young adults put on a spectacular display of breaching and head lunging this morning. Launching 60+ tonnes into the winter atmosphere is incredible to watch as water went flying with the resulting thud that could be easily heard by whales throughout the bay. Two adult Humpbacks may have mistaken that breaching from their own kind as they raced towards the area and seemed to realise pretty quickly that it was the Southern Rights making all of that noise! Continuing their journey towards the reef line and travelling smoothly alongside us they passed the local Bottlenose Dolphins and continued their migration.

The calves continued to play and feed well into the afternoon as their increasing size means that they are a little bit more boisterous and outgoing. The females now patiently need to find new ways to amuse their energy filled calves and this can include regular interactions with the other calves in Flinders Bay, Augusta. They love to practice dueling pec and fluke slapping to see who is better and can make the loudest noise. The females will also now prevent their calves from continually hassling for more milk by rolling onto their back and pointing belly to the sky to stop nursing attempts. The female will need to make sure she does not overfeed her calf as they both rely on her blubber reserves to survive until their return to Antarctica in late October which is still a long way away.

Download Photos Here

Dolphins are fast, powerful and acrobatic marine mammals and throughout their lifetime they will inevitably find themselves face to face with one of their main predators… sharks. The latest research has shown that up to 80% of Australian Dolphins have scarring or injuries resulting from a confrontation with sharks. The injuries can be truly concerning and should they have been inflicted on another creature the shock, blood loss and infection would be too much for survival. Incredibly, there have been cases around the world and within Australia where severe shark attack injuries have completely healed and the Dolphin has survived what would appear to be the impossible. The process of survival requires some very important elements that are truly remarkable and if the Dolphin can achieve the below they will have a chance of recovering from their injuries.

Injured Male Bottlenose Dolphin - Flinders Bay
Injured Male Bottlenose Dolphin – Flinders Bay

 

  1. Blood Loss

The moments after receiving the bite are most important to stop or prevent excessive blood loss. Dolphins and many other marine mammals will dive to great depths under circumstances where their lives may be at risk. The longest dive on record was 300 meters by a Bottlenose Dolphin and although generally most wild Dolphins will not need to dive to this depth they do have the capability. Racing to this depth the blood flow will go to where it is needed most, brain and vital organs which will assist in slowing or cutting off the blood flow to the wound site. A natural diving reflex like this and the ability to control blood flow may also be much stronger than we anticipate in Dolphins allowing them in some ways to control their blood flow to a wound site to prevent bleeding to death.

  1. Infection

The main concern for any injury is most certainly infection, especially when you live in a marine environment which is host to some very powerful tiny organisms that could lead to massive infection of a wound site so large. Incredibly, it is believed that Dolphins have the ability to store and produce their very own antibiotics on standby for when they need them most! Blubber is known to be very protective and within hours of an attack a thin layer of blubber will protectively form over the wound to begin the healing process. Blubber also has high quantities of antimicrobial compounds which will assist in killing off any bad microorganisms that may begin to try and form in or around the wound site. Dolphins may also have the ability to save antibacterial properties they consume from their meals and instead of processing this, they will store it instead and carry their own antibiotics similar to how we eat foods containing high quantities of vitamin C when wanting to prevent a cold.

  1. Pain Management

Looking at an injury like the one above will have many of us wincing in pain, how on earth could a Dolphin even be able to move without excruciating pain paralysing them? Research on pain tolerance in Dolphins is very poorly known, but even after severe injuries Dolphins appear to not show signs of pain or distress after only a few days. The ability they have to control blood flow may also be similar to the ability they have in controlling pain responders to the wound site. A Dolphin that is in pain would show signs to predators close by of being an easier target which would minimise chances of survival even further. Appearing to move freely even with these painful injuries may assist in discouraging the approach of predators and help with keeping up with the pod. The question remains do Dolphins have the ability to mask pain symptoms or are they able to control pain receptors to the wound. Perhaps because Dolphins have been known to not move away or avoid contact with the wound site is an example of their ability to control their pain responders and continue to feed normally without a diminished appetite due to pain.

Photo Credit - Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience
Photo Credit – Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience

 

A few large hurdles need to be cleared for Dolphins to survive such severe attacks, but as we can see their bodies are designed to handle such situations. Blubber has a remarkable regenerative factor and within a couple of months the wound site can appear to be almost completely healed and back to how it once was before the attack. The sponge like structure of blubber and possible stem cell style structure allows the blubber to regenerate very quickly and even after terrible injuries the Dolphin can recover to show minimal scarring and no change to body shape or structure. A truly remarkable feat that is inspiring and we hope that as the years go on we may learn from our amazing Dolphins and perhaps understand better the healing process and if there are any possibilities of replicating this process for other animals and people who may also suffer from similar injuries.

The beautiful winter afternoon conditions were perfect for Western Australian Southern right Whale viewing as we sighted the dark pectoral fins breaking the waters surface in the nursery ground. The mothers and calves were playing together as we notice more and more of the mothers regularly using the “enough milk” position with belly and pectoral fins pointing to the sky. The calves grow bigger and more confident as they get older and start demanding more food from mum, but her resting position is the perfect way to deter too many meals for the cheeky calves. The little ones are just like sponges and we have noticed recently they have also started practicing belly and pectoral fins to the sky with very good attempts made but not quite as graceful as their mum!

One of the juvenile Southern Right Whales who have been sticking close to the mothers and calves was having a good roll and rumble today, she was so incredibly close to the beach we were wondering if she was having a good scratch on the sand below or perhaps enjoying some body surfing. Two large adults were sighted further off the coastline and we instantly recognised the large female and younger male from the courtship pod sighted over a week ago. Fascinating to re-sight these two (who were originally three but the larger male was no where to be seen) and they still seemed happy with each others company with the male carefully following the female around. These two have now been together for close on two weeks which is a very long courtship timeframe and we learn so much from these types of sightings. Two adult Humpbacks were cruising through the abalone farm and the male Bottlenose Dolphins are still hanging around Flinders Bay and enjoyed some bow riding today.

Download Photos Here

The Southern Right Season for 2018 is well underway as we enjoyed the company of 12 different individuals who were all relaxing, socialising and playing in the sheltered waters of Flinders Bay today. Four mother and calf pods including Stacka were frolicking in the shallows while they practiced pec slapping and manoeuvring in the shallow environment. Feeding on approximately 360 litres of milk that has a 48% fat content will result in some pretty impressive results. The latest research has shown that these calves are putting on 50 kilograms of weight per day and 3cm in size! The warmer waters found in Flinders Bay (in comparison to Antarctica) enables a perfect environment for a calf to grow quickly as all of the energy from mums milk is used for growing rather than also trying to keep warm.

The Bottlenose Dolphins arrived in style this morning as the big males who we frequently sight in the bay raced towards us. They were full of energy and seemed very curious to what was happening, riding alongside our bow and showing off their numerous scars that are typically found on older, male dolphins. They also visited us again this afternoon and were busy chasing fish along the nursery ground before saying a quick hello to one of the mother/calf pods. Two adults also approached closely today and investigated us carefully allowing for a fantastic view of the unique callosity patterns located on their upper and lower jaw.

Download Photos Here

A very exciting start to our week as we welcomed onboard the Augusta Primary School and lots of smiling and happy whale guardians were ready to go out and meet their neighbours! A calm afternoon greeted us as we made our way towards the unmistakable pectoral fins of a Southern Right Whale as Stacka’s mum was once again rolling onto her back and refusing to feed Stacka any more milk after his afternoon feed. The female Southern Rights must be very careful not to overfeed their cheeky calves as they have a limited fat supply to produce enough milk during their time away from the feeding grounds located in Antarctica. All of the Augusta Primary School students onboard were fantastic whale spotters and helped keep track of the three different pods we were surrounded by.

The beautiful whale replicas onboard were great fun to show the physical differences between Southern Right Whales and other species while the Blue Whale poo onboard that has been collected from the Perth Canyon was a real treasure! Seeing the oceans version of fertiliser is a remarkable experience as we Learn the Language of the Whales™ and the importance our magnificent whales play in the role of the health of our oceans. Izzy, Maddie and Molly did a fantastic job in deciding on a special name for Stacka’s mum and we are very pleased to introduce Spirit which is the perfect name for a special mother Southern Right Whale. Always an absolute pleasure to welcome onboard the Children, parents and teachers of the Augusta Primary School and fantastic to see the spirit they all have towards protecting and caring for the whales of Western Australia.

Download Photos Here

The whales of Western Australia can often be sighted during their migration along the coastline and only 13 minutes away from Hamelin Bay is the picturesque township of Augusta who is proudly host to these beautiful visitors every year. Today was a fantastic example of how important the sheltered and predominately offshore conditions during the winter time allow the visiting Humpbacks and Southern Right Whales to rest, play and nurture their young safely in Flinders Bay. Our morning began with the company of two adult humpbacks including a beautiful big white bellied individual who were racing towards the abalone farm. Arriving at a speedy pace they stopped in their tracks and moved closer towards our vessel until they were right alongside us investigating. Reaching the abalone farm they seemed content to stop and rest amongst the lines and floats which act as a type of shark/orca deterrent and provide further reactionary distance when whales are resting.

Two mother Southern Right Whales enjoying a play date this morning as the two calves (including cheeky Stacka) twisted and rolled together. Approaching slowly and very respectfully, Stacka’s mum taught good whale manners as little Stacka learnt how to approach another pod carefully. He seemed rather excited to show off to his new friend with tail slapping, a little spy hop and balancing upside down practiced manners times to impress his new friend. We also watched as Stacka tried to mimic his mum by rolling onto his back with belly facing the sky and both pectoral fins slightly bobbing above the surface. Every moment is an opportuniy for young calves to learn from their mums. Sunny Flynn and mum were also sighted causing through the bay in search of a suitable resting place and our local Bottlenose Dolphins approached again this morning for a quick catchup. Augusta is a perfect place to see the whales during the winter time and is only a 13 minute drive from Hamelin Bay so if you are interested in Hamelin Bay whale watching you will be delighted to spend some time in Flinders Bay!

Download Photos Here

Enjoying the Flinders Bay nursery grounds is wonderful as we head towards August and making this season unique is Sunny Flynn, the Humpback Calf and his mum who continue to rest in the sheltered Flinders Bay. Little Sunny was breaching this morning and it is our first surface activity we have sighted from the young calf. His breaching was small, but he did a better job at a mini tail lob which looked strong  as he played next to mum. A relief to see this activity as it is showing he is feeling good about himself and taking time to practice the Language of the Whales™ instead of purely focusing on feeding, sleep and survival. Leeuwi was a young Humpback calf who was also born in Flinders Bay two years ago and we can clearly remember watching his first surface activity as he breached around our vessel. Continuing to learn from these mother and calf pods who are located much further south than the usual Humpback nursery grounds will be very important as we go forward.

Sunny finished his practice and play, all that hard work resulted in a well deserved feed of 48% fat milk from mum so we left him to enjoy his breakfast! The Southern Right Whale mother and calves were also enjoying the sheltered conditions this morning as we excitedly counted four mother/calf pods along the nursery ground and two young adults also playfully rolling and spy hopping in the shallows. One of the individuals was showing slight courtship behaviour as she turned her belly to the sky each time the second adult rolled towards her, a sign she was not interested in mating.  August must be just around the corner as we enjoy sighting numerous Southern Rights and the season begins to get underway. Our journey back to port one of our guests onboard made a great sighting of flying Dolphins! The local Bottlenose Dolphins including the young calf were porpoising towards us and raced alongside our vessel in a  very playful mood, they must have just finished their morning brunch.

Download Photos Here

The Augusta Southern Right Whale Season for 2018 is well and truly underway as little Stacka showed off his very best breaching and fluke slapping skills, which certainly are not bad for a three week old! We had a sneak peak at little Stacka’s lower jaw/chin a week ago when he did a curious spy hop and noticed the white was distinctive and seemed to cover a large area on his chin. Waiting patiently for that special moment where we would have the big reveal and today was the day as he breached with belly pointing towards us and the most gorgeous splash of white covered his belly. A beautiful young whale who has not only good looks but a wonderful personality also starting to form as he enjoyed some Saturday morning “sport” after a feed of milk from mum as they relaxed close to the reef line.

Watching little Stacka playfully interact with his mum we noticed a small movement on the other side of us and instantly recognised little Sunny Flynn, the Humpback Whale calf who was swimming past close by with his mum. Lifting his head high above the water as he surfaced we could see in our images his little eye open and looking straight back at us, wonderful to see him continuing to swim strongly next to mum and his scratches that he collected earlier starting to heal as his skin pigmentation darkens.

Two curious adult Humpbacks decided to swim right up to us and investigate the entire boat as they swam in circles around us. One of the individuals showed old injuries collected from an interaction with Orca and were most likely caused during his first few weeks of life, this young whale was a survivor! A mother Humpback and her yearling were also a surprise sighting today as generally they sighted heading north at the beginning of the northern migration. They were cruising through the bay and stopped for a quick glance at the local Bottlenose Dolphins including little baby Linda who has grown the Dolphin calf who has grown so much since we sighted her last week.

Download Photos Here

Western Australian Whale Watching is always full of surprises and today was no exception as we sighted competition pods, Sunny the Humpback Calf and Stacka the Southern Right Whale calf along with Bottlenose Dolphins and surface activity. Our morning started with the high intensity of six male Humpbacks competing after a female with speed and one male in particular showing his strength. Lifting his head many times above the surface he would slam his lower jaw down onto the surface creating a large splash and noise to deter the challenging males. Bubble veils, inflated throat pleats and reversals which is a behaviour where the individual will lift their body up and forward before sinking backwards again were all sighted amongst these boisterous males.

The Southern Right Whales were also enjoying their time today as Stacka decided to practice some fluke slapping for his Saturday morning activities. Little Sunny Flynn the Humpback calf was sighted this morning and again this afternoon as his mum seemed to be moving around Flinders Bay trying to find a suitable resting place for them both. The afternoon was filled with many whales in the bay as they continued their migration with some surface activity amongst two pods displaying a great example of the Language of the Whales™ a the pod further ahead tail lobbed to prevent the attention of the two adults travelling alongside us. They didn’t change their directions of movement and to display that they also wanted to move into that area the big white bellied male showed us a magnificent tail lob and fluke slap as he communicated to the pod further ahead and conversation was finished! Another fantastic Saturday enjoying Western Australian Whale Watching in Augusta.

Download Photos Here

JOIN THE POD®️

For your chance to win a free tour every month!

    #whalewatchwesternaustralia

    Part of the whale watch family