Tag: Peduncle Slap

Where to See Whales in Perth Western Australia is all dependant on what time of year you are looking to go whale watching as our whale friends are along our coastline all year long! September to December sights the southern Humpback Whale migration which we are currently enjoying with many mothers and calves migrating back south towards their summer feeding grounds located in Antarctica. Today we met a couple of mothers and calves socialising together and after a little while one of the females brought her calf over to say hello. They were both very curious and after finding a suitable spot the female began to feed her calf and they enjoyed a peaceful morning relaxing just off our bow.

The second mother and calf could be sighted not far away with the female peduncle slapping three times as something appeared to startle them. Joining with this pod and watching as the female escorted her calf out of the area it wasn’t long before they too began to relax in the beautiful conditions and gently continue cruising along with graceful tail dives from mum who was absolutely enormous! The northern Humpback Whale migration will begin again in late May as we sight both Southern Right Whales and Humpbacks visiting Augusta during the winter months. Summer brings the Orca, Sperm Whale and Pilot Whales to gather in the Bremer Canyon for an intensive feeding season while beautiful Autumn signals the arrival of our northern Blue Whale migration. The Blue Whales make their way north towards the Banda Sea to their winter calving grounds and stop by in the Perth Canyon to feed… where to see Whales in Perth Western Australia is a matter of what day suits!

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The very best Fremantle Wildlife Experiences can be found onboard Whale Watch Western Australia as we meet the exciting, wild whales of Western Australia! Today a mother Humpback Whale and her calf were being followed by two male Humpbacks, not what we usually expect to sight this late in the season but a perfect example of why interacting with wildlife is so exciting as every experience is a unique adventure. The males were chasing after the female and once we made a gently approach she quickly carried her calf towards us to try and distract the males. It worked as the two boys slowed down and decided that it was time to put their best moves forward before the female lost interest.

One of the males launched into an incredible breach and landed on his back as we watched on in amazement… now that was impressive! Following up with flirty pec slaps and even a gentle peduncle lob these males were trying their very best to impressive the lovely lady. Her calf seemed to be watching on in amusement and was hopefully learning a few things from these outgoing males and their clever tactics. The female was very patient with them and waited for a while until the males slowed down a bit and began to match her energy, before long she had regained control of the pod and both males were calmly swimming alongside mother and calf. A perfect example of how the females who are a little bit older and have the experience will take control of a situation and turn it into a benefit for them. This female now had two protective male escorts joining her southern migration, two bodyguards for herself and her calf! An incredible morning learning and enjoying observing the very best Fremantle Wildlife Experiences on another magnificent day in WA.

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The Rottnest Island Humpback Oasis is a perfect place for mothers and their calves to rest together and restore the strength they will need for the next step of their journey. Travelling thousands of kilometres down the Western Australian coastline and making their way into colder waters can be a very large challenge for such young calves. They have very smart mums though who prepare them well and allow them to adjust to their forever changing environment by spending time at places like the Rottnest Island Humpback Oasis with a few hours at this special place having you ready to go.

A young mum and her lovely calf were resting just off Rottnest Island and as we made a gentle approach we could tell that this female was in her first few years of motherhood, this possibly being her first calf. Being young herself it is going to take many migrations to collect a wealth of knowledge and experience to keep herself and calves safe. She was very relaxed in our company and as she quietly rested her very confident calf was keeping a close eye on us. A little tail lob to let us know that he was boss before approaching us a couple of times to get a better look. It was on one of these approaches that we noticed the calf was right alongside our vessel but mum had continued moving in the opposite direction… 100 meters away! Realising her calf was not at her side she spun back around and frantically returned back towards us and by now her calf had realised that he had wondered far away from mum. Collecting her wandering little one it was a perfect example of how quickly separation can happen in an ocean environment and how as a young mum this female will continue to grow and develop from mistakes made along the way. For this young female it must be a bit tricky for one of your first calves to be so outgoing and confident, swimming right up to us to say hello!

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Whale Watching Perth Western Australia is an incredible place to Learn the Language of the Whales™ especially during Spring as we observe the southern migration with many mothers and calves resting just off Perth. Meeting a relaxed mother and her little one this morning we made a gentle approach and joined up with them as they cruised along and enjoyed a leisurely Saturday morning. Breakfast was delicious 48% fat milk for the calf and we noticed the suckling type behaviour with regular intervals from mum to the surface and back again. A peaceful morning that very suddenly changed when a local Bottlenose Dolphin began to approach the pod and captured the attention of the young calf. Launching into a full body breach the Humpback calf landed upside down, rostrum first and a very big splash followed. Displaying confidence towards the Bottlenose Dolphin and letting him know that this was her mum and milk bar.. do not come too close please was the message to the Dolphin.

The Dolphin had started the conversation but the young calf now took the opportunity to continue breaching, head lunging, peduncle and tail slapping with one or two pectoral slaps thrown in as well and we were fortunate to sight an incredible variety of surface behaviours from the Language of the Whales™. Due to the extreme breaching we had the perfect view of her lower belly and could confirm that this was a female calf and she was very interested in us. Her eyes were wide open as she would breach or head lunge and look back at everyone watching her, seeming pleased with all of her new human friends. She then spied small tuffs of floating seaweed and it wasn’t long before she was rolling around in the seaweed and scaring the tiny baitfish around her. Everything went quiet and we could see that the baitfish were becoming increasingly nervous and jumping around, surely she was up to something and it was then that she launched. Completely airborne and only meters away from alongside our vessel, “Breeeach!” and what a beauty it was. Whale Watching Perth Western Australia is a perfect place to meet our magnificent Humpback Whales and enjoy learning all about them.

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The ocean erupted as just off Hillarys Humpback Whales exhaled strongly as seven tall blows could be sighted and tail lobbing began… a competition pod had begun! The increased heart rate of these males meant their breathing was regular and very strong and as we approached the area of their last resurfacing we patiently watched as everything went quiet. Shouts from our stern as an exhalation travelling at between 300 to 600 kilometres per hour rocketed behind us and we turned to see the entire pod barreling towards us at full pace, the female was looking for a distraction. Diving behind our stern and chasing after each other the female continued to lead the males on a chase after slowing them down slightly by approaching us so closely. Quickly becoming part of the pod we journeyed alongside as the males would charge towards the surface every 4-6 minutes after working hard at a depth of 20-35 meters below us trying to keep up with the female as she challenged them.

Only the fittest males would be able to keep up and we noted another two following on our stern showing great interest in joining but struggling to match the fast past of the competition pod. Hillarys Humpback Whales often rest ion the area with many mothers and calves but today was an exciting exception as we looked just over to our right and 300 meters away yet another completion pod had formed to our amazement and they also were travelling at high speeds. Mothers and their calves along the journey scattered away from the completion pod as they avoided any in terse from males starting to tire from the intense interaction. Bubble veils, fluke swiping and even trying to push each other towards the side of our vessel were all tactics used by these incredible males. The energy increased again as the second Hillarys Humpback Whale completion pod closed in and three of the males from that pod (including a beautiful white pectoral finned male) charged over to increaser our pod to 9 male Humpbacks and one very busy female Humpback Whale!

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Rottnest whale watching with the Humpback Whales today as we sighted relaxed mothers and calves along with Captain Hook, the large male sighted on our previous tours competition pod who came over to check out some powerful surface activity. Spending the beginning of our morning with the numerous mothers and their babies resting in the glassy conditions as some were feeding while one particular mother and calf who were travelling with an escort swam straight towards and underneath us. The reason why, as we looked behind us, was because of two large adults moving towards us. Looking carefully we quickly recognised Captain Hook who was one of the large males competing for a female on Wednesday morning. Seeming to recognise us well before we recognised him he cruised on over with his mate before continuing towards Rottnest Island on what was a peaceful morning Rottnest whale watching as our Humpback took the time to prepare for the next leg of their journey.

Energy and environment can change in an instant when Rottnest whale watching and it was one of our guests who made a very good spot behind us of surface activity beginning in a hurry! Two large adults launched themselves skywards in enormous peduncle slaps and inverted fluke slapping with much intensity. Although the beginning of this surface activity began naturally, unfortunately a recreational vessel sighted the activity and approached the pod at speed. The pods demeanour changed from natural behaviour to reactive, aggressive behaviour as they continued to tail slap vigorously to warn the vessel not to approach. Much to everyones disappointment the vessel did not slow but instead continued to approach the pod at speed until they were so close the white water from the fluke slap was hitting their bow. The pod was now startled and submerged quickly, now not focusing on the second pod who was approaching them but instead keeping below the surface and away from the recreational vessel who had invaded their reactionary distance and ignored their warning behaviour.

We waited patiently as we knew that the size of these adults meant they would be able to hold their breath for a very long time and it wasn’t until the recreational vessel departed the area ten minutes later that they resurfaced. The pod was now relaxed again as their personal space was back and as we watched the second pod finally join the surface active whales we recognised Captain Hook and he was leading his new mates directly towards us! They then proceeded to swim below us before surfacing on the other side as they curiously investigated our vessel. A perfect example for our guests today the importance of understanding how sound and respect are vital in ensuring our whales feel relaxed and we are able to observe natural behaviour when with them. Education is key to our future with whales and ingraining in our society a respect towards wildlife and their space to ensure a fantastic future  for both humans and whales, if you give whales your time they will give you theirs.

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Whale Watching Perth, WA is always an amazing experience as we see the Perth city skyline and Humpback Whales enjoying the sheltered waters off Perth. A mother Humpback and her calf were resting calm this morning when suddenly mum launched into energetic surface activity as she peduncle slapped and fluke slapped. Looking carefully in her immediate surrounds it wasn’t long before we sighted the reason why for this dominant behaviour… a fast approaching male Humpback. Seeming undeterred by this activity the male continued to move towards the pod while the female still tried to deter his approach with a few more inverted fluke slaps.

A few moments of silence followed before all three surfaced together and we could see the male was now closely following mother and calf, trying his best to keep up with them and show off to the female. Her calf was absolutely gorgeous with snow white pectoral fins glowing below the surface and although common in other Humpback Whale populations around the world when Whale Watching Perth, WA it is not all that common to sight completely white pectoral fin individuals making this calf an exciting and easier to identify addition to the Western Australia Humpback population. Leaving this pod to continue the chase we met a few others also travelling through the area with healthy looking mums and calves all around. Unfortunately, we did not re-sight the entangled calf from Sunday but will continue to look for them throughout this week. Eventually we managed to catch up with the mother and her white pectoral calf on our journey back and by now the male had been accepted into the pod and was acting as a very protective male escort, pleased with his new role as guardian!

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Perth Whales were busy today as they communicated The Language of the Whales™ in spectacular fashion. A male escort was trying his best to defend and show off to his female by breaching, peduncle slapping and continuos pec slaps. The only problem was that this female had a calf with her and her little one was her top priority. The high energy this male was producing through his surface activity lifted the energy levels of all the pods around us and everywhere we looked we could sight breaching and peduncle slaps. A few more male escorts were around this morning travelling with the mother and calf pods which increased energy levels throughout the area and encouraged the calves to join in to the conversation. Mini versions of the breaching and peduncle slaps could be seen as the calves gave it their all as they copied the males around them and learnt from some older role models.

The boisterous male escort moved in towards our vessel and as he breached right on our bow we could clearly see the Perth skyline as a beautiful backdrop to this marvellous spectacle. Perth Whales are comfortable in their environment and use the sheltered and protected waters found off the Perth coastline as resting and socialising grounds. Today was a perfect example of just how busy it can get when the males start talking to each other and bring a confidence to the resting grounds that the calves respond towards by making a bit of noise and practicing their surface activity as well. The mother and calf pods understand that when the males are around there is extra protection from predators such as sharks and orca with the male Humpbacks often assisting to keep calves safe. Fascinating to sight the difference our male Humpbacks bring whenever they arrive in town!

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The suburban Whales of Fremantle were enjoying the views of our coastline today as they socialised with breaching and tail lobbing as much fun was had as we were welcomed into the pod. Beginning our morning with a mother, calf and her escort who swam directly towards us to show off her calf before moving towards a second pod close by. The little one breached and tail slapped to get the attention of his future playmate but the mother and calf seemed slightly concerned about the confident approach and quickly swam towards us before trying to hide next to our vessel. There was no fooling the approaching calf though and it wasn’t long before they had joined together.

Yet another mother and calf approached from our right and suddenly we had four adult whales and three calves all swimming as one right alongside our vessel. It is always a special experience to be welcomed into a pod and enjoy observing their social behaviours while the calves eagerly play and show off towards each other. Leaving them to continue their preparation for the next stage of their journey when they will depart Fremantle and travel further south along our coastline we sighted a fourth mother and calf pod who were being very surface active with continual tail lobs as the mother taught her calf The Language of the Whales™. One tail lob from mum and then quickly followed by another tail lob by the calf, a  system of learning that we could happily observe all day long. Soon other pods joined in with the conversation as two nearby calves also responded with some breaching and tail lobs of their own. The Whales of Fremantle never cease to amaze us with their very urban socialising location just off Fremantle and how they use busy environments to their advantage.

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A spectacular whale watching season Perth is unfolding as we sighted surface active mums and calves who were communicating The Language of the Whales™ with each other and we had a front row seat! Starting our morning with four mothers, calves and two male escorts travelling together in a big pod towards the other resting Humpbacks looking for some fun and an opportunity to practice their surface activity. Once the breaching, pec slapping and fluke slapping began it was hard to stop as over thirty Humpbacks surrounded the general area and all put their two cents into the conversation. One large female was repeatedly pec slapping and seemed to be calling out for a male escort, all this pectoral slapping did get the attention of a second mother and calf pod with the female beginning inverted fluke slapping and tail lobs in response. Reminding us of a match of tennis as we looked left and then right as both females continued to talk to each other in the most spectacular way.

The fun certainly didn’t stop there as the female who was pectoral slapping had captured the focus of yet another mother and calf pod with the young calf breaching on his approach towards us. We could feel the excitement all around as each pod would communicate and the calves soaked up every moment of the fun. One female further away launched into enormous head lunges with her young calf breaching alongside as we observed the females motivating and teaching their calves. A perfect example of the different whale watching season Perth that we experience every year as the increase of Humpback Whales in the resting ground leads to many opportunities for these whales to communicate and socialise while enjoying the perfect weather conditions just off the coast of Perth.

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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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