Tag: Pelagic Seabird & Cetacean Eco Tour

Another fantastic day of exploration and discovery in the magnificent Perth Canyon! We had the privilege of meeting another two hungry Blue Whales as they filled their bellies full of krill hidden hundreds of kilometres underneath us. Our first meeting was with a younger individual who kept a very fast paced tempo whilst feeding and had the most beautiful mottled pattern along his flanks. Shortly afterwards another magnificent Blue was sighted and this individual was substantially bigger.

Perhaps he was not as voraciously hungry as his younger neighbour or maybe he was enjoying a casual Saturday morning brunch, but this Blue decided to take a few moments in-between dives to venture over and slowly check us all out and wonder why we weren’t joining in with the krill extravaganza below! This allowed the perfect opportunity to see and hear the size of this incredible mammal as he passed by, the exhalation of air from his car sized lungs sounded like a rocket and the glow of his beautiful skin below the surface lit up the ocean with blue, a perfect example of how these wonderful whales got their name.

Fantastic interactions with a family pod of cow/calf Common Dolphins, a quick sighting of 8-10 juvenile Sunfish basking on the surface, interactive pod of 30+ Bottlenose Dolphins and many beautiful Seabirds added to our fantastic day out in the Perth Canyon. One lucky guest captured the fleeting moment a small Blue Shark leapt into the air and landed with a big splash after missing his intended target, a perfect example why always keeping a close lookout has its benefits!

The Saturday morning Perth Canyon cafe was busy today with nine Blue Whales feeding! That is nine of the largest animals to have ever graced our planet surrounding us and to say we were excited is a huge understatement. The first two sightings were younger individuals and while one disappeared into the depths below to have his morning snack the other would surface close by to replenish his oxygen levels. The efficiency and timing of their surfacing behaviour certainly looked like they were working together as a team to keep those krill from dispersing too much during their surface time.

Another giant six meter blow was sighted 100 meters away shortly followed by yet another… and another…and another! We had arrived where the krill were located this morning and all nine Blue Whales within the area were having a feast of thousandths of kilos of the finest krill to be found. One of the larger individuals sighted today also provided the opportunity for some further Blue Whale poo collecting which is a fantastic opportunity rarely seen during migration but a natural part of what happens in the feeding grounds.

Also sighted on our expedition today was a very enthusiastic pod of 10+ Common Dolphins, Wilsons Storm Petrels, Flesh Footed Shearwaters, Australasian Gannets, Mother and calf Bottlenose Dolphin, small Hammerhead Shark and a Green Sea Turtle. A massive bait ball had attracted the attention of 50-100 birds that were diving from great heights into the ocean to capture a meal of fresh baitfish resulting in some very impressive flying by some of the Australasian Gannets as they hit the waters surface at approximately 100kph.

There is a place not far from the heart of Perth City in Western Australia that the largest mammals to have ever lived aggregate to feed on what is known as a biomass bonanza. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness the largest mammal species ever to grace our planet. Never before released to the public this new frontier eco hot spot off the Perth, Western Australian coastline is the feeding grounds for the largest aggregation of Blue Whales in the southern hemisphere. The biodiversity includes Sperm Whales, Orca’s (Killer Whales), Beaked Whales, Dolphins, Australian Sea lions, Sharks, Migratory Antarctic Sea Birds, Sunfish, Tuna and much more feed on this biomass bonanza which stands unrivalled on the Western Australian coastline as the marine production epicentre.

For the very first time ever you can join us as we discover The Perth Canyon, a little known pristine eco hot spot with gargantuan dimensions larger than the Grand Canyon with origins dating back to the entrance of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. Research teams have monitored Blue Whales and Sperm Whales along with many other cetaceans and mega fauna that come here to feed on krill created by the Leeuwin Undercurrent and the Perth Canyon topography. This interaction creates nutrient rich up welling waters where phytoplankton develops and an intense food chain for marine life prospers.

Limited Time – Limited Opportunity – Book Today!

Blue whales are the largest mammal ever to grace the planet, they can measure 31m in length and weigh 130 tons. Classified endangered there is an estimated only 12-20,000 remaining around the globe. The Perth Canyon is the summer feeding grounds of these Dinosaurs of the Deep™. This is your opportunity to be a part of a new frontier of research and development with Whale Watch Western Australia.

The Perth waters are very much an unknown as being the most isolated coastline in the world we are still discovering the many different species in this pristine environment. The area has also had sightings of the apex predator, the Orca or Killer Whale, which is known to frequent the area during the feeding and migration periods. The eco habitat from the nutrient rich up welling Leeuwin Undercurrent enables Perth Canyon to create a feeding biomass bonanza for the eco system from the smallest to the largest of ocean wonders and you can join the team as we Learn the Language of the Whales & Discover the Dinosaurs of the Deep™.

UPDATE Pelagic Seabird & Cetacean Eco Tour South West
NEW TIME: SUNDAY 29th May 2016
BOARDING: 0630 hrs Port Geographe Marina.
BOOK NOW!

Step aboard the luxurious $2.5M 25mtr catamaran Steep Point for a day of excitement in search of nature at it’s finest.

The leading stars of the show are the Pelagic Seabirds which regularly frequent the South West Cape

Experience the purpose designed 5 viewing platforms over 3 levels as we search for

  • Yellow nosed & Shy Albatross’s

  • White faced Storm, Great Winged & Soft Plumaged Petrels

  • Brown Skua’s

  • Several species of Shearwaters

  • Bridled Turns

There is also the chance of Cetaceans and other sea life that will have you engaged.

A great opportunity to visit an area that is magnificent, remote and a path rarely travelled by man.

Join us a we open the secrets of the Western Australian coastline for Pelagics.

All food and drinks supplied.

Day Trip departing Port Geographe Marina, Busselton 0600 hours Arrival Augusta Boat Harbour 1800 hours (12 hrs approx)

*Boarding 0630

*Students must present valid student card on boarding.

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For your chance to win a free tour every month!

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    Part of the whale watch family