The morning in our Orca Watching Adventure in Bremer Bay started off with a pilot whales feeding frenzy! Dozens of pilot whales were chopping and changing direction at the surface, with only glimpses between the white-cap ridden waves as the swell washed over them. Small oil slicks began to appear all around us. Hundreds of pilot whales surfaced for only a fleeting second, the sound of their gasping exhales penetrated our eardrums one by one! The activity was rapid and they moved with intent as they rounded up the school of fish! Tuna were jumping out of the surface on their attempt to escape their rearing fate!
Amidst the chaos, we had sporadic sightings of orcas surging west! You were lucky to see them as they hid among the troughs of the swell, being sure to surface in the whitewash, camouflaging themselves with the water that plumed off their faces. The sightings were swift and short-lived!
We ventured back to the hotspot in hopes for some action! We weren’t disappointed! On our first sighting the orcas were spread out and on a mission! The adults continued to patrol the outskirts while the juveniles came in to play! We were well and truly mugged by the youngsters! CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS! The orcas were SO CLOSE that you could lean over and pat them! We felt even more grateful for the close-ups today as it had been a while AND it was our last day with the orcas for the season!
The waves were becoming shorter and sharper! The orcas surged into them as they jacked up on top of one another, skimming JUST beneath the surface for our eyes to trail! We have NEVER seen an orca travel so fast past our stern! The pods continued surging and surfing around the vessel for over 30 minutes! Round and round they went!
The last hour was beyond words! So much activity, the contrast of the close, docile encounters to surging at speed made for the most epic final moments with our dearest sea pandas! Only cheers and joy radiated from our appreciative customers and crew! There may have even been a tear or two shed as the season has some to an unexpected fault.
Plan your adventure in advance. Check our Augusta Whale Watching tours today!
