Our Bremer Canyon Killer Whale Expeditions are a step above the rest and are the PERFECT Christmas present to that special significant other, family member or even yourself!!!! This all day adventure is one to tick off the bucket list and is truly is a once in a lifetime experience! Naturaliste Charters are the founders of ecotourism charters out in the Bremer Canyon. Our 2020 season will be our 6th year navigating the deep abyssal waters alongside the oceans super predators, the killer whales. We strive to provide a team of the most knowledgeable and experienced crew that are there to ensure your day is one that you’ll never forget. “The energy and attentive care that the Naturaliste charters team provide throughout the duration of the tour is on par with the feeling you encounter when witnessing the orca for the first time”..Adrienne Hinkes. Safety is of the utmost importance to our staff, from the vessel we charter to the catering we provide and everything in between. The “Alison Maree” is the ONLY purpose built Southern Ocean vessel that ventures into the canyon, capable of all the possible ocean conditions that were may encounter on our expeditions. You’ll have peace of mind on our vessel as all our freshly catered cuisine is handed out to every individual to ensure you enjoy the entirety of the day, experiencing any and all of the killer whales unpredictable behaviours; from close and curious encounters to the high speed chases of a surging pod of apex predators on the hunt for their lunch!
Our tours depart from the Bremer Bay Harbour at 8:30am and arrive back at approximately 4:30pm. Please note that although our departure time is fixed and we require you to be at the jetty at 8am (For a safety brief and presentation from our on board marine biologist prior to departure), our arrival time back to the Harbour varies ~1hr both sides of the previously stated 4:30pm time frame. We only state this as we prefer to provide our customers with the highest quality interaction possible as each day and encounter varies when witnessing killer whales, the species at the top of the entire ecosystems food chain, in their natural habitat, amidst their breeding and feeding season. Trust us when we say, once you’ve ventured out over the continental shelf of Australia and into 1000m+ of water to watch these incredible creatures, you’ll want to maximise you’re experience with the orca and the endless array of other spectacular marine life that we encounter throughout the tour. This diverse ecosystem is driven by multiple oceanic currents that force nutrients from the depths up into the top 200m of water, known as the “photic zone”, whilst simultaneously being catalysed by methane hydrate seeps at the seafloor, producing copious amounts of tiny microscopic algae called “phytoplankton” which are the drivers of the entire food chain. The area in which we frequent is only 3nm wide, a tiny thriving area amidst one of the worlds most unique, diverse and scientifically unexplored environments on the planet. Being a part of scientific discoveries, world firsts and witnessing rare or newly discovered species with scientific experts and film makers is exhilarating! This flourishing and dynamic marine ecosystem harbours a rapidly developing food web for the 3-4 month period in which we explore the area; from tiny micro-organisms, crustaceans, fish, marine mammals all the way to the apex predator the orca!!! As the ocean currents strengthen and subside from January through to April the nutrient rich upwellings move with them, and as a result so do the array of marine mega-fauna. From previous years findings we have conduced that each of the four months of the Bremer Canyon season bring their own various pros (no cons) almost GUARANTEEING you orca sightings with 95 successful days out of our previous 100 day season! Below is a little break down of what we witnessed in the Canyon over the past 5 years!
January: Killer whale predations, sun fish, beaked whales
February: Killer whale predations, long-fin pilot whales, sperm whales, sun fish
March: Oceanic bottlenose, false killer whales, long-fin pilot whales, predations
April: Blue whales, Sperm whales, sharks, predations, rare seabirds
We are so excited for 2020 and we can’t wait to let you in on a few of next seasons secrets that we will have on offer!!! Stay tuned 😀
