Tag: The Language of The Whales

Humpback Whale escort pod during the month of November is always a lovely surprise as most of the male Humpbacks have already made their way back towards Antarctica in preparation for next years breeding season. Meeting this escort pod today was and exciting experience as mother, calf and her male escort were travelling not far from Rottnest Island. The male was very protective of the female and began to communicate The Language of the Whales™ towards us as he treated us just like another male. Using his body to position himself in-between us and the mother/calf ensured that he established who was boss and made sure we didn’t get any ideas of taking his girl away from him!

He needn’t worry as the female was content with his company and was not looking to join up with us to replace him as a male escort. Still, he watched over us and made sure the females attention was on him the whole time, while her young calf seemed to be curious towards us and ignored the escort male for the most part! It is always fantastic when whales will communicate towards you just as if you were a whale yourself, this is the ideal whale watch as they are thinking in a relaxed mindset and instead of reactionary or fearful. They came to an abrupt stop as another pod drifted across their path 100 meters ahead of them and the male went from avoiding the female getting too close to us and instead all three moved closer and into our sound footprint. Now understanding we weren’t here to take his girl away or steal the attention this protective male escort decided to use our sound footprint to his advantage and hide away from the secondary pod moving past. The tactic worked perfectly as they avoided the other pod and our Humpback Whale escort pod continued their journey as we departed and wished them well on their trip ahead.

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When a Humpback calf is at play it can be easy for them to be distracted, especially when a curious Bottlenose Dolphin comes over to join in on the fun! Today a gorgeous calf and his mum were cruising along when the little one decided we looked rather interesting and with mums permission slowly approached (mum was following right next to him of course) and swam towards our bow. As we continued to get to know this pod better we watched as they enjoyed the beautiful morning and the calf played with anything he could find to amuse himself including seaweed, his mum and also us.

A small dorsal fin was noticed moving towards us and we smiled as we recognised the lone male Bottlenose Dolphin who we often sight frequenting the area we were in. He was interested in what fun the calf was having and made a gentle approach. The calf seemed so very pleased to have another play mate and within moments he was chasing him along the surface of the water, his little rostrum held above the surface as he looked over towards us before continuing the chase after his Dolphin friend. It was at this moment he completely forgot about mum and was 10-15 meters away from her and continuing to follow his new buddy. Thankfully mum is always constantly aware of what is happening and launched into a big tail lob to assert her authority over the pod and get control of the situation. Immediately her calf returned back to her side and Mr. Dolphin waited a few minutes before rejoining again, understanding that it was important to do as mum said even when a Humpback Calf is enjoying a little bit of playtime. Two large adults were also cruising past in an escort pod as their enormous size and sleepy demeanour meant that they had been holding their breath for the last half an hour only a few hundred meters away from the mother, calf and Bottlenose Dolphin.

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We were eye to eye with a Humpback Whale today as a gorgeous calf breached just off our bow bringing her eyes above water level and wide open looking back at us! A brilliant moment to enjoy as this young calf and her curiosity created an environment full of energy and excitement. Breaching, pec slapping and a cheeky peduncle slap as she approached to display her dominance towards us as we sat perfectly still and watched her little rostrum skimming the surface as she swam directly at us. A quick round out dive and she disappeared below for a few moments as we kept an eye all around. Whoosh, her exhalation erupted just to our port side and she seemed pleased with her control of everyone on the boat as we excitedly watched her every move and enjoyed every moment we were eye to eye with a Humpback Whale calf. Following her around in circles onboard we watched as she dived underneath us and popped up on the other side enjoying her game of hide and seek while mums silhouette soon appeared and we watched as it grew stronger.

A beautiful female surfaced and we met mum for the first time as she also curiously approached us after having spent the last fifteen minutes sitting directly below. Her beautiful skin, large size and beauty was just wonderful to be next to as we watched a mother Humpback Whale in her absolute prime. Just like humans, every female will reach a peak in their reproductive lives and this female was at that peak with a healthy calf and herself having a healthy, strong body as she enjoyed the beautiful day. Numerous mothers and calves were also resting close by and the calm conditions allowed for the calves to frolic in the shallows next to their mums while listening in to the other pods surrounding them. The local Bottlenose Dolphins stopped by for a quick hello and we watched as the impressive Australian Navy submarine cruised past on our way back into port as we waved back to our Diggers.

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Lest We Forget…  at 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare and today marked the 100th year anniversary, Remembrance Day. Our morning began with two large adults who were travelling towards a mother and calf pod a few hundred meters ahead of them. The calf noticed their approach and began to communicate to the adults with defensive tail lobbing. A perfect opportunity for this calf to practice The Language of the Whales™ as the large adults continued to move in their direction the calf made sure he did his best to warn them not to approach. We could feel the energy increase as a large footprint surfaced next to us and the adults began to move with more focus just before everything went very still.

One of the adults launched into a full body head lunge as his rostrum reached for the sky and his pectoral fins kept him balanced, a mouth full of seawater was also sent flying skywards as he crashed landed with an enormous splash! Another head lunge quickly followed as his travel buddy began to pec slap and join in the conversation. Head lunging and further pec slapping continued as these two beautiful adult whales displayed powerful and efficient surface behaviour. The white belly of one of the whales was such a very pure white and extended all along his pectoral fins and up his flanks, a stunning individual. After their magnificent display the calf soon went quiet as he listened in to the power of these adults and quickly established that these approaching whales were much bigger than him! They changed course and continued moving towards Rottnest Island as they prepared for the next step of their journey. Our morning was also in for a special surprise as an Australian Airforce Fighter Jet approached form our starboard side and we had a direct overhead flyby as he roared towards Garden Island, a very special moment to reflect on the men and women who fought to protect the freedom of our nation and gave their lives so that we may live ours, a privilege that we must not only remember today but every day of our lives and pass on their story to the next generation of Australians who will always be proud and honoured to have and continue to have such brave Diggers… Lest We Forget

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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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Responsible whale watching takes patience and a full understanding of The Language of the Whales™ to understand how we must act when in the company of our whales. Mothers and calves especially are very sensitive to aggressive, erratic and frantic movements of a vessel and this can change the entire energy of the whales within the resting grounds. To ensure a responsible whale watching experience it is important to respect the rules that are in place when approaching whales and for the duration of time that you are with them. The below diagram is an example of the correct approach ensuring a safe interaction for the whales, mothers and calves require a minimum distance of 300 meters and speed of five knots creating no wake. When these rules are also incorporated with matching the energy levels of the pod we can enjoy a curious and natural encounter with the magnificent whales of WA.

Our first mother and calf pod we met were skimming the surface and the calf even opened his mouth wide so we could catch a glimpse of his baleen, a very special sight indeed! Watching the movement of this pod they appeared to be being followed and it wasn’t until a few minutes later we could see who was causing the chase… a young Humpback who would have been no more than 2-3 years of age. Cheekily he was swimming along with mother and calf looking to socialise but the female politely and in her own way managed to distract him enough by swimming underneath and beside us that she had a window of opportunity to make a break and no longer have him following them. Now just the two of them remained and the female appeared to take that time to feed her hungry calf and came to a complete stop right underneath our bow. We could see in the 11 meter shallow water her shadow and that of the calf nuzzled underneath her having a delicious drink of milk. Leaving them to continue their breakfast we joined up with a few other of the mothers and calves resting in the area and we were so pleased to re-sight the pod we had met on Wednesday. The gorgeous calf was still Mr. Confident and as soon as he spied us came swimming over with mum following after him, he is a lucky calf to have such a patient mum and we guess that comes with experience and a more mature age!

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Scarborough whale watching it was today as just off Scarborough Beach a mother and her calf perfectly timed one of the most spectacular and exciting surface behaviours… a double breach! Firstly sighting large amounts of white water landing next to an enormous ship we could see the female breaching and as we approached the area her calf decided to begin breaching also. All went quiet for a few moments before both mother and calf breached together and what a beautiful sight it was, a double breach is one of the surface activities that is not always regularly sighted throughout the season. Watching as the female continued to breach her way towards us and her calf excitedly joined in with peduncle and fluke slapping. The female was encouraging her calf to practice The Language of the Whales™ and we were enjoying every moment of her fascinating lesson with her beautiful calf.

The female then rolled onto her side and began teaching pectoral fin slapping to her calf but he was more interested in practicing his tail slaps right alongside mum. Her enormous five meter, one ton pec fin hit the surface creating a loud “whack” sound before being gracefully lifted back up and repeating the process. The female was really getting into her groove and continued to breach and pec slap, she almost seemed to be flirting with us slightly and perhaps was in search of an escort. Once again the ocean went still and we waited for a breach but no one was expecting what was to happen next as forty five tonnes broke the surface only meters in front of our bow, she had deliberately swam towards us and decided to have a really good look by coming in for an extraordinarily close breach! A spectacular moment to be so close to a female who was as interested in us as we were of her and her calf. Scarborough whale watching was filled with much excitement today and joy to experience such energetic displays from a mature female and her lovely calf living the Humpback life, how fantastic!

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Amazing Hillarys whale watch experience today as we met an enormous female Humpback and her very confident calf who both launched into a spectacular breaching display! Slowly cruising when we first met them we made sure to match their energy levels on this beautiful day as mother and calf travelled just off the Hillarys whale watch coastline. The calf appeared to be very comfortable as he traveled a few meters ahead of his mum and as she allowed him to position himself in-between herself and us we knew she trusted us. Building this trust with a Humpback Whale mum is a beautiful thing as we understand just how fiercely protective they are of their calves so to allow us to view a glimpse of their busy lives is a privilege that we must never take for granted.

The calf appeared to disappear for a couple of five minute intervals in-between coming to the surface to breath and we had a sure feeling that this little Humpback was having a good feed of mums 48% fat rich milk. Almost to signal the end of feed time and that he was ready to play the young calf launched into an amazing breach as his entire body left the Indian Ocean which left for only one thing to take over, gravity! “Plonk” as he flipped upside down and his rostrum was first to hit the surface again in a hilariously fun breach, but his mum decided to show him just how its done and launched into a picture perfect breach that was simply spectacular. The breaching didn’t stop there as the young calf continued to fly high and land with a beautiful splash into perfect conditions as he refined his style a little bit before throwing in a little chin slap/head lunge for good measure before swimming directly towards us to get a better look. Mum patiently escorted him over and what a special mum she is, her weight loss is extreme and we can clearly see her eye sockets just before she lands after her breach in the photo above showing just how much dedication these females have to their calves.

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Humpback calves were jumping for joy today as it was the day for the Sport of Kings and an incredible morning observing three Humpback calves breaching just meters off our bow! Our morning began rather mysteriously as sunshine and clouds both couldn’t make up their mind to what type of day it would be and as we watched in the overcast shadows two mothers and calves surfaced close by. One female was younger and rather energetic as she cruised along with her calf and travelled towards a much larger female who was sleeping quietly. The younger female announced her arrival into the area with an enormous peduncle slap and it was only then that the more mature female who was almost twice the size of her younger counterpart seemed to wake from her slumber to slowly meander away from this energetic mum. The younger female happily continued on her way through the area and looked like she was in a rush to watch the Sport of Kings, the race that stops a nation and migration.

The Language of the Whales™ was in full swing as we approached three separate pods of mothers with calves communicating back and forth with breaching, pec slaps and tail lobs going off everywhere as the calves chit chatted to each other. One of the calves was completely jet black from fluke to rostrum and as he continued to breach towards us and was completely airborne we wondered if he was going to stop! “Whoosh” right alongside us as we looked to our right and there was a little calf surfacing trying to hide in our sound footprint to make a sneaky approach towards the breaching calf, but to no avail as the little one spied him a bolted over at full speed. The excitement levels were very high and the calf who was most excited of all was our little black beauty who seemed so pleased to show off his amazing breaching to his new friend he almost landed right on top of him.. oops!

The third calf finally approached and was a little bit cautious at first, startling from some white water landing on her back from one of the other calves breaches she took off before performing tail lob of her own. This seemed to get rid of the nerves and all three calves continued to roll and play together as the sun came out and the mums carefully watched over their playful calves. A true privilege to have Humpback calves playing right next to us with so much trust towards us and trust of their environment The all black calf left a big impression on us with his enthusiasm and great beauty so we decided to name him in honour of a champion we lost today… The Cliffsofmoher

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Perth City of Whales and a perfect example why today as mothers and their calves rested while seven male Humpbacks charged after a female in a competitive competition pod with full bodied, barrel role breaching! A gentle morning to begin with as playful calves rested next to their mums while curiously checking us out from afar. One young female who had with her what appeared to be her first calf due to both of their smaller size swam directly towards us before disappearing below. Our suspicion of being investigated was correct as a few moments later both mother and calf surfaced alongside our starboard after swimming below us and mum slowly swam past as both took the time to have a good look. They may well have been looking for an escort as we noticed the horizon starting to bubble and splash as the unmistakable beginning of a competition pod was forming not too far away.

Approaching the area we had previously sighted large adults resting in we could see between 4-7 Humpback Whales starting to group together when suddenly the leading whale launched into a full bodied, barrel role breach! Spectacular as forty plus tonnes landed on the surface with an almighty splash as it appeared this females primary escort was frustrated with the competition that had begun and was trying to display his strength to the others. None of the other males seemed to notice all that much as all seven whales charged towards the bottom of our 30 meter depth and for the next few moments we waited and anticipated what could happen next. One younger male surfaced first and was quickly followed by the rest when the big male launched once again into a full bodied breach and his beautiful body, although enormous, also showed signs of great weight loss after nothing to eat since approximately April this year and many competition pods later… breaching was his only option to try and discourage the attention of these challengers. Unfortunately for him, these boys were incredibly focused and continued to race after the female and as we Joined the Pod and marvelled at their power we felt very privileged to be here in Perth City of Whales on a magnificent day in WA.

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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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