The 9th of March, 2020 update for our orca in australia,
With no luck at the hotspot this morning we decided to run west! We’ve been so lucky at the hotspot the past few weeks that it was about time we had to go for a proper patrol! Just like clockwork, once we hit Shrek’s, over the swell and far away we had the call! Orcas were heading east back toward the hotspot and FAST! The orcas were working hard to punch through the swell, their entire bodies launching through the air before submarining beneath our wake!
By the time we turned and headed back for the hotspot, there were orcas expanding over at least a mile on either side of us! The line grew and the orca didn’t slow down! We had so many regulars, Slater, Billie, and others.
We were lucky that the multitude of orca darted both beside and beneath us for fleeting moments of AWESOMENESS! The steam trains roared up alongside us, including NEO and two very protective aunties! The calf was so close you could’ve touched it as it cruised at speed alongside us with ease!
By now we had 4-5 pods stretched out beside us. It felt like we were part of the pod! Nani, Koomba and Urkel’s pods were in sight and so was Fue, one of our large solitary males! Nani and the rest of the pod were coming up our stern and emerging from the white water without any warning! The orcas were distracted, but by WHAT?
The pods took us 11 miles before stopping in an instant at the hotspot! The groups started to move back into their tight units, plunging to the depths for extended periods! It was ON! Over 50 animals down at the same time! All we could think was, WHAT is going on down there! There was not one trace of a killer whale in sight!
The pods were covering some serious ground with each dive! Fue, the LARGE solitary male joined Nani and Split tips pods in an echelon formation. Oil slicks began to disperse at the surface. WHAT were they killing?
A substantial sized slick pooled and glistened grey under the cloud covered sky! Of course, the huntress (split-tip) rose in the middle! Where were the rest of the pods? By now the wind had dropped and the swell was subsiding. Just like that, they’d made their way back to the hotspot as we cruised back through for one final pass on our way home. What an EPIC day in Bremer Bay!
Looking forward for more? We will have our Augusta whale watching.
