***Warning graphic content***
We set out across smooth seas this morning, with no idea what the Southern Ocean had in store for us. Our journey began with a trio of bottlenose dolphins passing us by as we rounded the corner of the harbour and headed south toward the shelf edge.
With no signs of the orcas at the hotspot, we extended our search to the neighbouring canyons out to the west. The ocean was calm, with only a gentle rolling swell and a light breeze on the surface – conditions which often mean we have to work a bit harder to track down the orcas who seem to travel out much further from the hotspot on days like this. As we tracked west, we sighted a dorsal fin at the surface, although it didn’t belong an orca. It was the dorsal fin of another ocean predator, a hammerhead shark, but it didn’t stick around for long. Soon after another dorsal fin was spotted breaking the surface, this time attached to a sunfish! We pulled up to get a closer look at the odd-looking animal only to find a second one close by, both likely feeding on bluebottles which had been caught in the tide line.
The anticipation onboard rose as we continued on, still without a blow in sight. Up ahead a bright orange mass floating at the surface had captured the attention of a few shearwaters. We approached to discover a large fishing net, with a gathering of Mahi mahi (dolphin fish) and various smaller fish species taking refuge underneath the floating mass of woven rope. It took all 5 crew members working together to pull the net from the water. The net was checked over to ensure that nothing had become caught or entangled however it looked to have only recently been lost, with next to no growth on it. It was lucky we’d found it before the orcas had!
Still tracking west, it was Kyle, positioned at the highest vantage point on the Alison Maree, that spotted a splash up ahead. Being miles out in front of us though, it was too soon to make the call as to what had caused the stir. We closed in on the splashing with our eyes peeled, desperate to see a blow or dorsal fin on the horizon. Then around 15 blows spurted from the surface at once, followed by a splash – the hunt was on!
The orcas surged through the water in pursuit of their prey, still 500 metres ahead of us, the white water exuding from their bodies a stark contrast against the calm blue surface of the water.
As they began to slow, another huge splash erupted out in front of us, followed by a bubble of blood at the surface. The hunt was over as quickly as it had begun. One of the orcas leapt from the water in celebration, then again and again – a triple breach!
The unlucky prey was confirmed to be a beaked whale when one of the orcas raced along our starboard side carrying its head, with the beak on display above the water for all onboard to see.
Up ahead, a group of orcas including Split Tip, the matriarch and queen of the canyon, thrashed around at the surface, wrestling with a large chunk of the animal’s carcass.
All around us orcas surfaced with fleshy chunks of tissue in their mouths, sharing the kill amongst themselves. Individuals from both Split Tip’s and Alki’s groups were identified in amongst the chaos. The water had turned green with blood and the pungent smell of mammal oil was in the air.
Birds swirled overhead, diving down to snatch scraps of flesh that the orcas had left behind. Amongst the bird swirl was a Campbell’s albatross and a worn sooty albatross, a very rare sighting, especially on a day with such low winds! Whaler sharks could also be seen darting around in the murk, scavenging for scraps.
We spent the rest of the day with Split Tip’s group who became highly sociable and interactive putting on an absolute show!
Three Stripes, Adino and Bindi, along with some of the younger members of the group swam rings around us, passing closely along the sides of the Alison Maree, rolling upside down underneath the bow and getting a bubble bath off our stern.
To our absolute delight, Tarni brought her new calf, Kita, who was first seen only a few days ago, right up to the side of the boat, closely escorted by Split Tip.
The three of them moved so slowly toward us and surfaced only metres away on our port side, checking out the submerged GoPro on the way through! Split Tip wasn’t done – she returned for multiple close passes both off our bow and our stern.
Once carrying the beaked whale carcass with her, as if she were completing a victory lap. Even our crew were entirely speechless, once again dumbfounded at the fact that these wild, highly intelligent animals continuously choose to interact with us on this level.
After they’d had their fill, members of Split Tip’s pod regrouped, forming a line and tracking back toward the hotspot. We waved them goodbye and made our way back toward home, after an unforgettable day in the Bremer Sub-Basin, having witnessed nature at its absolute best.
-Naturaliste Charters
This post was adapted from a Facebook post, read the original here.
Photographs captured by Nigel Marsh, Luke Reynolds and Cassie Smith. Blog post written by Marine Biologist, Jennah Tucker.
Leave a Reply