We had one of our most beautiful trips out to the canyon today. Quintissential Australia day weather greeted us at the marina, with sunny skies, and hardly a breath of wind ruffling the surface of an impossibly blue souther ocean. As they had yesterday, a pod of common dolphins waylaid us not long after leaving the harbour, clearly visible through the clear blue water as they surged toward us, adults and tiny calves alike leaping from the faces of the small swells as they came, effortlessly matching our speed just below the surface as they rode our bow. A sunfish right in front of our bow also provided a quick diversion en route.
As we dropped over the edge of the continental shelf into the deep water of the canyon, we were literally spoilt for choice immediately. Three killer whale pods within our sight is a welcome treat. We had no need to make our choice, as a group headed in our direction.
Crew and expeditioners called out the names of the animals they recognised, giving our encounters the feeling of meeting with old friends.
What followed was five hours on constant companionship and interaction from 35-40 killer whales in our immediate vicinity, with still others further off. Often, we didn’t know where to look or where to point our cameras, our favourite problem to have. Killer whales approached our vessel, and swam around and under it from all points of the compass. They surged majestically from the still blue glass of the surface alongside in the most graceful and majestic waterbourne formation, so close we could hear the multiple exhalations from the line abreast.
As the sun lowered toward the horizon, it was not in it’s usual position, an indication of just how far the killer whales had led us this Australia Day, and also reminding us of just how little we know about these amazing animals and this location. What We traced our steps home, minds full of the amazing sights and sounds of the killer whales of the Bremer Canyon peacefully traversing their souther ocean home.
Until tomorrow,
The Bremer Canyon Crew
