Tag: Dinosaurs Of The Deep

The juvenile Humpbacks of Western Australia were roaming today with much interest towards us. Our first meeting was of a solo traveller who appeared at first to be very focused on his migration when suddenly a call went out of a shadow to our port side and underneath the vessel… he had arrived! Surfacing very close on our stern he then continued to excitedly swim circles around us with intense curiosity. Interacting with the juvenile Humpbacks of Western Australia is always a lot of fun as we get to know the unique personalities of these young characters who we hope to be spending even more time with as the years go on. Their younger age often brings them into situations that are typical of most teenagers, showing off in front of everyone just like this friendly young Humpback.

Continuing his journey past Rottnest Island we also continued ours as we met another pod of juveniles who were also enjoying the Sunny Sunday Sunshine. Looking carefully we could see fairly fresh Cookie Cutter Shark bite wounds on the rostrum and flanks of this young whale. Although their appearance looks painful they will heal very quickly and it won’t be too long before a orangish/whitish scar forms. The body condition of both pods looked good and although they still have a long way to go it is exciting to meet the juvenile Humpbacks of Western Australia and their friendly personalties!

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The beautiful conditions led us towards another fantastic Perth whale watching opportunity as we met two very relaxed Humpback Whales. Seeming to be resting quietly they did not appear concerned by our company and we notice during each resurfacing they would move closer and closer towards us. Waiting patiently we enjoyed our time getting to know these two Humpback Whales and watching this male and female escort pod taking time to rest on their journey south. The next surfacing happened quickly when squeals of surprise echoed through the boat as within a matter of seconds both whales were spy hopping alongside us! Their enormous bodies gracefully lifting above the surface to get a better look at everyone as we watched in awe these beautiful whales.

Their intense focus was amazing to watch and it is always very humbling to be so close to these incredible whales during our times in Perth whale watching. They gracefully moved around our vessel, spy hopping as they went along with a few bubble veils as the male Humpback seemed concerned over how much attention the female was paying towards us. Looking carefully we could see that both whales had lost a lot of barnacles this season which is to be expected during the migration journey with many circular scars visible, however there are always a few holders on and these could be sighted on their “chin” and tips of the fluke. Also celebrating Julie and Rob’s thirty seven year wedding anniversary today and our whales must have had an inkling of today being a special occasion!

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Breaching on the horizon first captured our attention as we moved towards two pods communicating The Language of the Whales™ towards each other in fantastic fashion. Launching themselves skyward we could sight the resulting whitewater splash even when further away and as we neared the two younger juvenile whales appeared to be deterring the attention of the secondary pod. A spectacular barrel role breach was sighted as these two juveniles traveled together in the waters off Rottnest Island and as we observed their communication the fascinating story of the Humpback Whale barnacle was being captured on our photographs of the day to tell us a little bit more about these Humpbacks.

Coronula diadema which is a species of Acorn Barnacle and usually referred to as the Humpback Whale barnacle have a fascinating life cycle. Beginning their journey as larvae floating in the warmer waters of Western Australia they are attracted to the “smell” of Humpback Whales where they will land on the skin of a whale and wonder around, checking things out and looking for the best realestate. High water flow areas are ideal as it will ensure you are closest to the food source as a hungry Acorn Barnacle and the flukes, pectoral fins and dorsal area are all fantastic locations. Once a suitable place is found the tiny larvae anchor down and cement themselves onto the skin of the Humpback creating a fortress of hard shell that will protect them over their approx one year lifespan.

They will feed on the tiny plankton and other food particles that the whales swim through while migrating and feeding resulting in a very fast growing barnacle. Around this time next year though the party is over as the now very large adult barnacle has produced eggs/larvae of their own that will be released in the warmer northern waters and the next generation of Coronula Diadema eagerly await their lifetime host. Looking carefully at the images above of the juvenile Humpback we met today you can clearly see the old, circular scars that have been left by the adult barnacles and now the lighter yellow coloured juvenile barnacles settling into their new home… looks like a few more freeloaders for the next 12 months for these poor Humpbacks!

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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 Perth Humpbacks visited Rottnest Island today to take a Quokka Selfie while cruising southbound to Antarctica. The blue waters off Fremantle framed the beautiful Humpback whales as they danced together and flirted with pectoral slapping and belly rolls in the shallow waters. Anyone who has travelled to Rottnest Island has most likely taken the opportunity for a quokka selfie with the famous locals and even our Humpback Whales seemed to be on the lookout as they moved very close when passing by Rottnest Island in search of their obligatory quokka selfie! The pectoral slaps could be heard clearly as each one landed on the surface and it is amazing to watch 1,000 kilograms crash with such ease and grace. A pelican flew past in a surprise sighting and didn’t seem fazed as he had us all staring back at him, who said whale watching was just for humans 🙂

Looking carefully at one of the images we can see relatively fresh wounds starting to heal at the base of one of the Humpback Whales flukes. This type of scarring is generally caused due to entanglement and thankfully there is no sign of rope or line any longer on this whale. Sometimes during their epic migration they will come into contact with cray pots or other type of rope that can became briefly caught on a Humpback Whale. The fortunate ones will find a way to dislodge this entanglement eventually or have a special group of people rescue them, they will always keep the scarring that results from these interactions with rope and it is this scarring which can tell us a bit about their story.

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The Humpback whale watch season is always different and we learn new things each season and watch each migration with great interest as every year is never exactly the same. Today we had a big surprise as a young Humpback Whale launched into a full bodied breach alongside our vessel as he appeared to be checking out what was happening above the surface. The southern Humpback whale watch season for 2018 is underway with lighter than average numbers recorded for Humpback Whale sightings so far this season, but with an influx of numbers earlier in the week and more juveniles moving south along our coastlines we are excited to see what each journey will discover.

The young Humpback today was resting in the sheltered waters not far from Rottnest Island as he patiently waits for the right time to continue south, preferably with a friend to join him for the journey. The juvenile Humpback Whales will often rest in sheltered areas as they await the next influx of Humpbacks who will arrive in the area. Their arrival is the perfect opportunity for whales who have been travelling on their own and resting quietly for a few hours to a few days to meet a suitable mate to join with for a short time during the southern migration. Resting is an important part of the migration process and while waiting for temperature, whales or timing it is important all Humpbacks, especially juveniles, do not over exert themselves and avoid wasting precious energy or blubber reserves.

The younger whales of the Western Australian Humpback Whale population physically do not have the capability to migrate into the heart of the Kimberly and if they are not of a breeding age group then there is no need for them to go as far as the breeding aged males and females. Their slightly smaller bodies will need a few years to develop and they achieve this by good feeding seasons down in Antarctica and a northern/southern migration which rids their skin of parasites and also provides socialising and learning opportunities. Once the weather warms it is then time for them to lead the race back towards Antarctica and be some of the first to enjoy a fresh meal of krill!

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The juvenile whales are launching into the September Humpbacks season with the first front of the southern migration tending to be the young stars of the next Western Australian Humpback generation. These Humpback whales range from one to twelve years of age generally and are lively, excitable individuals who also can be shy at times as they lack the same experience and confidence seen in their elders. Two of these sub adults were travelling together today when we noticed that they had a shadow… another young Humpback Whale was curiously following them but at a safe distance. Humpback Whales are very good at keeping reactionary distances which are very important to ensure survival as it gives them the upper hand and should they need to move away in a hurry they will ensure there is always that reactionary distance there to provide them with the upper hand.

The three young Humpbacks were continuing to follow each other around as the one individual decided to try and travel closer to us and hide in our sound footprint, but to no avail as the other two continued to be fully aware of his presence. Seeming to not want his company anymore one from the pod of two launched his fluke and peduncle into the sky as we watched a beautiful tail lob and perfect example of September Humpbacks Language of the Whales™ and how effectively surface activity will be used to communicate. The two then moved towards some seaweed for a quick “facial” whole the one individual turned his attention towards a breach further out on the horizon… perhaps those whales would be more interested in saying hello and socialising with him.

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The Southern Humpback Whale Migration WA is sighted every year without fail as the largest population of Humpback Whales known in the world traverse our Western Australian coastline in grand numbers. The tall blow of a large adult whale rocketed skyward and it wasn’t long until we arrived in the location and watched patiently for the next surfacing. Whoosh, everyone jumped a foot as two adults surfaced right next to us after investigating under our hull for a few minutes and trying their best to hide in our sound footprint as another pod close by moved past the area. Humpbacks main sense is sound which they rely heavily upon and by hiding close to something else that is making a sound, like our motors heartbeat, they then disappear into the sound footprint and can no longer be easily heard by others in the area. Breaching erupted just ahead and we could see the complete opposite of whales trying to keep low profiles and a great example of The Language of the Whales™.

Breaching and pec slapping usually indicates flirty behaviour from our Humpback Whales and although it peaks during the northern Humpback Whale migration WA we often see this type of behaviour whenever there are a few males and females around just like this morning. The very large adult female was accompanied by a younger male Humpback who appeared to be taking every opportunity while he could to escort his girl. Such a large female will often attract the attention of only the most powerful and dominant males, but sometimes these younger males do get lucky and find themselves with the opportunity to escort a female back to Antarctica. Unfortunately, for these males generally the female will already be pregnant after a successful mating earlier on during the northern migration in June/July. Our morning also had another surprise as we sighted a beautiful Southern Right Whale who was cruising towards the coastline and after double checking the ID images from the first two sightings a few days ago we can confirm this is a brand new individual, three special Southern Right Whale sightings just off the coast of Perth so far for season 2018!

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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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A wonderful morning with Humpback Whales in the “departure lounge” of Whale Watch Fremantle. The southern Humpback migration starts to pickup momentum and we see more and more whales enjoying a short relax in the sheltered waters off Fremantle. Waiting patiently for the right moment to continue their migration back to the feeding grounds of Antarctica, the Humpbacks we sighted this morning seemed to be biding their time with some social outings! A total of eight Humpback whales were all together at one point as six juveniles and two young adults twisted, rolled and balanced upside down for some morning fun and interaction. The importance of the departure lounge as a resting ground for our visiting Humpbacks when we whale watch Fremantle we can clearly see why.

A pod of two fast became four and then six as one of the cheeky individuals swam alongside us trying to hide his approach and make a surprise appearance. Although we were only in shallow water the agility of these Humpbacks is always amazing to watch as they twisted upside down and balanced their enormous flukes above the waters surface. The passing two adults were observing from afar as they travelled past but the distraction of six happy, playful Humpbacks was too much and they decided to check out what was going on. In typical adult form we watched in amazement as enormous peduncle slaps flew skyward to show off to the others their strength and let everyone know who was boss. The juveniles responded with a few peduncle slaps of their own and we loved every moment of observing the brilliant Language of the Whales™ unfold in front of us. Fantastic to see such happy whales with their focus now towards Antarctica and their first meal in a very long time.

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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 Dwarf Minke Whales were back again today while whale watching at Rottnest Island and with much excitement we watched as the magnificent body markings of the Minke raced around us investigating before surfacing right on the bow. Humpbacks breached and tail slapped as we watched the Language of the Whales™ unfold as the separate pods communicated to each other over distance. One young whale seemed to be on the lookout for a companion and as she surfaced alongside us a few times we could see her notice instantly the breaching on the horizon, moving her body to face the direction of that sound we wished her luck as she departed to find a buddy for the rest of her southern migration. A good spot to our port side as two Humpbacks moved in our direction, these two wanted to come and have a good look at us and within minutes they surfaced right alongside our vessel.

Spy hoping on the bow, on the stern and a good belly roll alongside enabled them to get a very good view of all the humans onboard who were admiring them… it was difficult to know who was more intrigued! These two Humpbacks were also very special in body markings, both had big white bellies that extended up their flanks and they almost looked like twins. The white glow of their bellies could be sighted as they drifted below us before resurfacing again on the bow and swimming around to our stern. Looking at these enormous whales and understanding that they have travelled so far north and now back towards Antarctica we are always truly privileged to spend moments with them as they achieve their epic migration. Their curiosity towards us and gentle nature as they investigate is remarkable and as we can see over the last three days both Minke Whales and Humpback Whales love the opportunity for some people watching while we are whale watching at Rottnest Island!

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