Tag: Whale Whispers

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.

Whale Watching of Western Australia Whales does entice excitement and wonder from humans and it is easy to see why with their incredible acrobatic displays and close, sometimes very close, interactions and desire to investigate who is actually watching them as they go about their daily routines when Whale Watching in Western Australia.

Something that is missed by the public and indeed other operators with less experience, care or knowledge is the fact that the surface activity that is witnessed is an actual language that the Whales use to communicate with themselves and others in their environment.This is what we teach in the Language of the Whales TM

It is very important to us that we educate the public when Whale Watching in Western Australia as it is with every interaction an opportunity for both parties to learn more about each other, this process will continue to develop a safer environment for Whale’s and a better Whale Watch experience as they will not consider the vessel as a threat.

There is a definite skill set to manoeuvring vessel’s around Whales and when Whale Watching in Western Australia even though there is stringent boundaries and regulations that are a part of operator’s licensing we see on a daily basis vessel’s chasing and herding Whale’s in the attempt to get as close as possible to these magnificent creatures.

This type of herding is forcing the operators will over the Whale’s which is disrespectful and like any creature, disrespect is not welcomed kindly and the ensuing actions of retaliation are performed.

The Art of Whale Watching resides when the operator of the vessel spends enough respectful time with the Whale to see if they are wanting interaction at all or have the discipline to move away if they do not. Western Australian Whales are extremely curious and if your approach and respect for their reactionary distance is up held, many will want to investigate you further.

You will always know when you have respected the Whale’s environment as they will continue on their own routine without any regard to you, they will stay completely relaxed and may or may not choose to come in very close to investigate the sounds emanating from your vessel, when you achieve this you have started to master the Art of Whale Watching. What you will discover is what Whale’s do naturally with or without you in the vicinity, this is the true Whale Watch.

When we train our crew or staff members we educate them on the Language of the Whales TM as every movement and the energy in that movement is telling you what the Whale in your vicinity is trying to communicate to those around or close to him or her. Different times of the seasons and migrations bring different energies and priorities for the Western Australian Whales. The northern migration, when males are looking for partners and pregnant females are looking to calve, is completely different to the southern migration when mothers return with their calves and males, like all of the migration, are looking to feed after many months without nutrition.

We as operators are responsible and accountable to ensure we practice the Art of Whale Watching and in this way we can all Learn the Language of the Whales TM.

 

Today we could see why Augusta whale watching is so special as throughout both our morning and afternoon experiences we were surrounded by curious Humpback Whales and very close encounters! The first two juveniles we met this morning had been playing in seaweed and relieving their itchy skin when they decided to come over and investigate. Treating a nearby recreational vessel very similar to how they would treat another calf, this cheeky individual surfaced only centimetres away from the small vessel that was the same size as him. Bottlenose Dolphins also joined us for a short time before porpoising towards one of the numerous baitfish balls sighted today. A mother and her yearling calf travelling into Flinders Bay caught our attention and it wasn’t long before they both decided to take a rest. Incredibly, they drifted past our bow as the yearling calf rested on top of mums back and both were so trusting of us they were relaxed enough to be sleeping meters away from everyone on the bow (we made sure not to make any noise to disturb them!).

The morning tour was fantastic and we were in for a surprise during our afternoon experience only moments after leaving the Augusta Boat Harbour. A tail fluke led us towards a juvenile Humpback Whale gently rolling and twisting at the surface. On our approach he made his way over towards our vessel to investigate and soon all of his focus was on his new human admirers! Circling around and around us, he would every so often tilt to the side and show us his big white belly before looking back up towards us. One of the very special moments of the afternoon was when he would make his way towards our stern and on our water level viewing platform we would make eye contact with a Dinosaur of the Deep™.

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS HERE

The Language of the Whales™ was very loud today out in Flinders Bay as four separate pods of Humpback Whales communicated to each other with some spectacular surface behaviour sighted. One pod of two young whales were breaching, peduncle slapping, head lunging, inverted tail slapping and pec slapping just off our bow for almost one hour straight! The need to practice different behaviours is very important for these young whales and what a privilege to have front row seats to this outstanding display.

Out of the two whales the white bellied juvenile had a story to tell, if you look closely you will see that this little whale is a survivor of an Orca attack! The unmistakable “rake” marks from the Orca have healed over time and you can clearly see where the Orca held onto the fluke of this Humpback who managed to escape and is now sighted today in Augusta healthy and practicing the behaviours he will need to use throughout the rest of his life, it makes one very happy.

Download Photos Here

We sighted our first competition pod for the season today as eight whales pushed and jostled for the position of top whale and the hopes of impressing the young female… unfortunately many of these whales were just juvenile males and the female seemed to quietly leave the group who were a little carried away and didn’t notice that she had left until it was too late! Fantastic to see the next generation of male Humpbacks practicing and perfecting the skills they will need to one day impress the very choosy females.

A rare sighting also today of a male Sea Lion interacting with a female Humpback and her yearling calf which caught everyone by surprise! Skating across the surface the young whale looked a little awkward and something wasn’t right until we noticed the Sea Lion pop up right next to him, the Humpback was trying to move like the Sea Lion. Bottlenose Dolphins were also sighted today moving past close to the Humpbacks and checking out what was going on in their neighbourhood and with the competition pod and many whales sighted in the bay it is a very exciting time in Flinders Bay.

今天我们在弗林德斯湾见证了2017年度第一次座头鲸求偶竞争。一头年轻的座头鲸跃出水面故意挤开旁边的4头鲸鱼，旁边有3个刚刚成年的座头鲸和3头成年的座头鲸相互竞争，尽量度表现自己。8头雄性座头鲸追逐一头雌鲸，另我们所有人都非常的惊讶。为了追到自己心仪的对象，都不遗余力的表现自己，跟我们人类一样，真的很神奇！

Download Photos Here

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.

Hearing the name Pygmy Blue Whale often creates thoughts of a miniature whale that traverses the oceans without ever being seen… but only part of that sentence is true! The Pygmy Blue Whale grows up to 24 meters in length and can weigh 90 tonnes making it clear that they are not miniature whales by any standard and although they are large in size their migration patterns and movement through our oceans has allowed these mammals to be one of the most rarely sighted species of whales on the planet.

The Pygmy Blue Whale was discovered as a separate species of whale in 1966 and their history goes back to over 20,000 years ago when a small population was separated by enormous quantities of glacial ice. The situation most likely causing many Blue Whales to have migrated north with the remaining Blue Whales and smaller gene pool that was left behind creating a separate species over time. The Pygmy Blue Whale is a sub-species of the Blue Whale and because of this they share many characteristics and look very similar, however there are a few different physical traits that we can notice when looking carefully.

  • Overall body shape of a tadpole with larger head and smaller tapering tail/fluke
  • Broader baleen plates that are also shorter due to their larger head size
  • When compared to a Blue Whale of the same size a Pygmy Blue is heavier in weight
  • Appearance of an aquamarine submarine when surfacing due to their lighter shade of grey in comparison with Blue Whales

Pygmy Blues are baleen whales and their main source of food is krill which they will travel thousands of kilometres to reach suitable feeding grounds with high densities of this favoured food source. A large appetite and their enormous size means eating up to 150 tonnes of krill a day is completely normal for a Pygmy Blue Whale! One of only three known feeding grounds that produce enough quantities of krill to feed these mammoth mammals is located just past Rottnest Island on the West Australian coastline, the Perth Canyon. Over the year the canyon attracts hundreds of Blue Whales and many other species of wildlife who feast in the Perth Canyon.

The migratory pattern of the Pygmy Blue Whales of Australia are still being discovered and new information about their mysterious lives is coming to light thanks to the hard work and persistence of researchers all over Australia and the world. Feeding and refuelling in the Perth Canyon during March/April they will then leave the canyon and head north to the tropical waters of Indonesia where it is believed some females will give birth to calves and they will also resume feeding again. During November/December many of these Pygmy Blues can now be detected feeding in the Bonney Upwelling located in South Australia. A round trip of over 10,000 kilometres and an average movement of 25 to 100km per day is cruise control travel for the Blue.

The future is exciting for the Pygmy Blue Whale populations found in Australian waters and we are fortunate to have their most well known feeding ground located so close to the city of Perth, Western Australia. Population numbers of Pygmy Blue Whales are believed to be greater than those of Antarctic Blue Whales and both of these species have been known to share the same feeding grounds. What is truly remarkable is the DNA research that was taken from Blue Whales feeding off Antarctica produced results of six Blue Whales who had both Antarctic Blue Whale and Pygmy Blue Whale in their genetics… the two species had mated and created hybrid Blues!

This incredible discovery is just one of the many inspiring reasons why the Blue Whales of Australia continue to attract the attention of researchers from all over the world as we do all that we can to learn everything possible about these beautiful mammals. Stay tuned as our inaugural Blue Whale Perth Canyon Experience is set to start this weekend and our excitement levels are even bigger than the size of these wonderful Blues to share with you all that we see and learn!

The Blue Whale is the largest mammal to have ever graced this earth. Weighing in at up to 180 tonnes and with a body length of 25 to 30 meters, the size of these graceful creatures is hard to fathom! Before whaling the Blue Whale populations around the world were extraordinarily healthy with the largest population found in the isolated waters of Antarctica with an estimated 240,000 Blue Whales. The largest animal in the world feeds on one of the smallest creatures in the world, Euphausia superba which is also known as Antarctic Krill.

The oldest ever recorded Blue Whale was estimated at 110 years old and the average lifespan for a Blue is between 80-100 years old. A female Blue Whale will generally have only one calf every 2-3 years and her gestation period is 10-11 months. Migrating north to the warm waters found off Indonesia in the Banda Sea, a female Blue Whale will give birth to a calf that weighs in at 2,500 kilograms and seven meters long. A Blue Whale calf happily consumes 350 litres of milk every day and this large quantity of milk and its high fat content allows the calf to put on 90 kilograms every 24 hours…that is just over 3 kilograms every hour!

Calves will stay with their mothers for approximately 6-8 months and at this time they are around 16 meters long and ready to be weaned from their mothers. They will live a fairly solitary life once they have left their mothers and during those first eight months of life they have learnt everything they will need to live the life of an Antarctic Blue Whale. Depending on the individual they will generally reach sexual maturity around 5-10 years of age and when fully grown the female Blue Whale is larger than the male by a couple of meters.

Blue Whales will travel continuously throughout the year to reach feeding grounds that provide the quantities of krill they require. The Perth Canyon in Western Australia is one of only three known aggregation areas in Australian waters that Blue Whales are known to feed at. Once they have arrived at their feeding grounds they will focus all of their efforts into consuming as much krill as possible leading to extraordinary figures. When large quantities of krill are abundant a Blue Whale can easily consume up to four tonnes of krill every day which works out to around 3o million krill. A mouthful of water and krill weighs in at 50 tonnes before the water is filtered out and the krill get trapped in the baleen plates, sometimes a few unfortunate squid and small fish get caught up in the feeding bonanza resulting in a bit of extra protein for the Blue Whale!

An enormous lung capacity of 5,000 litres allows the Blue Whale to easily hold their breathe for up to 30 minutes or more if needed. When feeding they will dive to where the krill are located, usually around 100 meters, and feeding dives can be between 10 – 20 minutes long. Resurfacing after these feeding dives you can see an exhalation that ranges between 9 to 12 meters in height as the Blue Whale replenishes their oxygen levels before beginning their next dive. Migrating Blue Whales that are travelling to feeding or breeding grounds generally travel 13 meters below the surface to avoid unnecessary drag at speeds of 20kph. Male Blue Whales that are defending a female they are courting can reach speeds of up to 50kph in short bursts while chasing another male away. This incredible speed from such a large animal often results in a powerful breach of the head and upper body of the Blue Whale as they surface to breathe during these powerful chases.

Almost hunted to extinction over many years of whaling, the Blue Whale population found in Antarctica was estimated at only 360 individuals when whaling finally ceased in the 1970’s. Today we can see a very slow increase in Blue Whale numbers but still not at the same rate as other species, such as the Humpback Whale. Although they are the largest animal on earth there is very little known about the Blue Whales found in our oceans and their day to day life.

These magnificent creatures have certainly captured the imagination of people all over the world and much research is being done to learn everything we can about our Blue Whales and help them continue to grow their population back to much healthier levels. They are certainly survivors and adapt whenever they are faced with a problem, their mystery and elusiveness adds to their allure and meeting a Blue Whale is the greatest privilege and a highlight of ones life!

Perth Canyon Blue Whale Expedition

Today’s lesson of the Language of the Whales™ will focus on the very powerful peduncle slap. Pivoting their head down and using their long pectoral fins for leverage a Humpback whale will then push their peduncle upwards with incredible force resulting in the peduncle and fluke breaking the waters surface and landing with an all mighty splash! This behaviour takes a lot of practice when young to perfect and often during the southern migration we can sight many Humpback calves practicing with their mothers.

A peduncle slap is a very aggressive behaviour and will be used to deter predators or threats away if they come too close and this is why we see this type of behaviour most often from a mother with calf. Being incredibly protective, the female will respond to anything that she interprets as a danger to her calf. This may be an obvious threat such as a shark, orca or dominant male Humpbacks but you will also see this response when other species of animals and boats do not treat the whale with respect.

We have also had experiences with younger juvenile whales who will be interacting with our vessel, approaching very close and suddenly will perform a more gentle version of the normally aggressive peduncle slap. This may be interpreted as a more dominant playful behaviour and can also be seen from young calves who are practicing this behaviour with other calves close by or when interacting with other whales.

Although it can be seen regularly with juvenile whales and young calves the peduncle slap is usually reserved by the adults for situations that require a very powerful message. The energy and power that results in a peduncle slap is truly impressive to watch and now that we have learnt the Language of the Whales™ we understand the true meaning behind this incredible surface activity and communication.

Pectoral fin slapping which is also known as pec slapping may look like our whales are waving at us but there are many hidden messages in this form of non-verbal whale communication. Pectoral slapping is one of the many favourite surface behaviours to watch amongst whale watchers and often makes a very loud noise as the pectoral fin, which can be up to five meters in length, lands with a mighty splash on the waters surface… lets learn more about The Language of The Whales©.

There are a few different reasons why a whale will pec slap and we most often see this behaviour amongst Humpback whales. Pec slapping is a very important way of communication during the most flirtatious time of our Humpbacks social calendar, teaching young calves and deliberately trying to hit each other!

1. Flirty Females

During the winter breeding season female Humpback use pectoral fin slapping as a way of flirting with and encouraging the attention of male Humpbacks. The female whales will lay on their sides lifting one pectoral fin and allowing it to fall to the surface creating a big sound and splash. They will also roll onto their back and lift both pectoral fins out of the water getting double the sound effect this way! This is a very strong message sent to the male Humpbacks in the area who will hear this surface communication from the female and race towards her. Females also release a scent when performing this behaviour and this scent combined with the loud sound of pectoral fins hitting the surface creates an incredible reaction from the male Humpbacks who come from everywhere to meet the female and this is how Humpback competition pods begin!

2. Schools In

On their southern migration back towards Antarctica many Humpback mothers and calves will be sighted. We often witness when interacting with these pods different behaviours being taught by mum to her calf. During these lessons a calf will firstly learn a behaviour and then practice until they get it just right. Pectoral slapping is a very important way for our whales to communicate with each other, especially the next generation of female Humpbacks. Last season we had a young calf practicing her pec slapping for over 30 minutes straight! It is this determination that will help a calf perfect her technique which will be needed as they turn into young adult whales who will begin communicating to each other through this Humpback non-verbal language.

3. Technical Knockout 

We have seen in many competition pods and also during playful interaction between Humpbacks a cheeky pec slap that lands perfectly on the whale next to them! When a pectoral fin that is five meters in length and around 1 tonne in weight lands on you it certainly will be felt. Now this usually is not repeated continually like traditional pectoral slapping but still is a way of communicating through slapping their pectoral fins. Humpbacks have perfect control over their pectoral fins and can be incredibly precise when they land them on the waters surface and this precision will be used when wanting to let the other whale next to you to keep their distance and not get too close!

As you can see there are a couple of different situations pectoral slapping will be used and depending on the situation it can be very relaxed, lifting the pectoral up and above the surface and allowing it to fall calmly or sometimes with a little more force and a “flick” of the pectoral fin adds further energy creating an even louder noise, this is used when the whale is wanting to be a little more forceful in their message. Humans will also respond to Humpbacks by waving back… this is always a lot of fun and a very special experience!

After three wonderful months of amazing whale watching it is now time to say goodbye to the lovely town of Augusta and her wonderful community. Our Humpback whales have now left Flinders Bay and it is time to meet the returning migration in Geographe Bay. Thank you to the local businesses and friendly faces in Augusta for your continued support and it was a fantastic season this year in Flinders Bay.

We were very blessed this season to have not only one but two incredibly rare encounters and build a relationship with these two very special whale families. Little Leeuwi the baby Humpback who was born on the 28th of June and his mum shared some very special moments with us. We enjoyed looking out for Leeuwi and seeing him find a way to survive in an environment that is not perfect for a baby Humpback, but he is a true little warrior and although sad to say goodbye we have great confidence in Leeuwi and his mum to make the journey back to Antarctica against the odds.

Pearl the white Southern Right Whale calf and her mum Mother Of Pearl created a once in a lifetime experience for many of our guests with only 5% of all Southern Right births resulting in a white calf. With only 3,000 Southern Right whales estimated in Australian waters to see Pearl this season was a true privilege. We hope in future seasons to come we will re-sight Pearl sporting her news colours, maybe the darkest shade of grey or even looking similar to those dairy cows you see in Cowaramup.

Thank you Augusta for a wonderful season in Flinders Bay, we enjoyed every moment! Look forward to arriving for another fantastic season in 2017 but for now we are waving good bye until next time.

A blanket of winter rain settled over Flinders Bay today and it was a picture perfect rainy winters day in this beautiful region. For our female Southern Right Whales it was the perfect opportunity to take a few moments to teach their calves some important behaviours and today’s lesson was… head lunging! One little calf repeated and practiced his head lunging over 20 times and definitely improved his technique by the end of his lesson.

A little bit tired he then decided to have a few curious peeks at us by spy hopping and having a good look about before trying to “climb” up the flank of mum as she gently surfaced next to her calf. We love every moment spent with our whales and there is always something very special about watching a baby whale learning and enjoying all these new experiences in their very young lives❤️

We also spent a little bit of time with another mother/calf Southern Right pod who had an “Aunty” with them. This is very special to see as an Aunty whale is an individual Southern Right who will help protect mother and calf. This Southern Right pod of three were also enjoying themselves socialising on the surface with a lot of rolling and spy hopping going on and because they are so large often when they do roll around a bit they will lift their tail flukes above the surface showing off absolutely enormous flukes!

ID Log
Date – 11.8.16
Species – Southern Right
Lat – Undisclosed Long – Undisclosed (Nursery Status)
Notes – Mother and calf pod with aunty

JOIN THE POD®️

For your chance to win a free tour every month!

    #whalewatchwesternaustralia

    Part of the whale watch family