One word, STATIONARY!
We were greeted at the bow by a slow glow beneath the surface. The tip of a dorsal fin rose in front of us, staying only metres off our bow whilst ensuring the rest of the body stayed just beneath the surface without taking a breath. The vibrant glow darted from side to side with the white pigment catching everyone’s eye for minutes! WHO WAS IT? After the long, drawn-out tease it was soon reviled by the distinct and equally impressive dorsal fin that it was in fact NIBBLES!!!
The lone bull hung with us putting on a show, almost escorting us over to his pod! It wasn’t long before another well-known and sprouting male arose from the depths, DIGBY! We should’ve known. Shortly after and in perfect formation the rest of his family surfaced, showing off their newest little neonate, calf “X”!
A few days back we came across a rare sight, four bulls roaming the hotspot away from their pods. We came to the conclusion that they were conducting a very important meeting to discuss the name of Digby’s pods newest member. After putting it to the public you’ve all chosen DUNDEE! After today’s activities he (or she) is living up to the name already! The active little youngster is FULL of energy and spirit, just like our incredible larrikin skipper!!
The best way to experience today’s tour would to be to head to our Bremer highlights reel on our Instagram!! From the high pitch squeals of the customers (and crew) to the curious calves swirling beneath the hull, over and over and over again, the videos say more than 1000 words!
For over 4 hours we either sat stationary just drifting with the swell or plodding along slowly at less than 5 knots while two pods of orcas danced beneath our bow! Nibbles and Digby’s pods joined up, often forming a straight line of over 15 orcas as the juveniles split off from the group to continue their never-ending game of hide and seek! The mother of the newborn calf “mini Dundee” kept bringing the outgoing, orange orca calf right in for all of us to enjoy! The calf was spy-hopping and copying the other juveniles all day, if they leaped so would he, if they tail slapped so would he! Every time the youngsters surfaced at the vessel face on it looked like they were smiling! Even the adults came over for a look, almost collecting the calves and pulling them back in line. This never lasted long before the kiddies were back for more! There was even an orca pile up! The parents rolled their youngsters over their heads and nudging them on their nose until they broke the surface! Orcas use touch as a sign of affection and you can clearly tell how in love the pod is with their newest little larrikin!
