Our first visit to the Bremer Canyon for 2024 was a real treat. Before we’d even made it to the hotspot we had common dolphins hot on our tail, riding in the wake of the Alison Maree, which is always a good omen!
The dolphins only played with us briefly before darting back to a large bait ball where they’d been feeding and we continued on to the hotspot in search of the orca. It didn’t take long before blows were spotted in the distance.
As we approached the orcas began excitedly surging, suggesting they’d located some prey and the hunt was on.
The orcas disappeared under the surface for some time before large oil slicks began to form on the surface which gave off a pungent smell, distinctive of mammal oil. All of a sudden, we were surrounded by more than 30 orca, including Split Tip, Wonks, Chalky and Hookfin.
Large chunks of meat were spotted in the mouths of some of the orca as they surfaced. Unlike humans, orcas cannot chew their food due to their conical teeth and interlocking jaw designed for ripping and tearing. When feeding, an individual will often grip a large chunk of meat in their teeth while others swim past and tear smaller bite size pieces off. We watched on as this behaviour of sharing their prey continued throughout the day.
This was interrupted only by a pod of pilot whales which passed through just off our bow. After some beautiful close passes by Split Tip and some playful calves, we made our way home, escorted by playful common dolphins, breaching and riding our wake. A quick visit to Glasse Island to check in on the sea lions and little penguins made for the perfect start to 2024!
-Naturaliste Charters
This post was adapted from a blog, read the original here.
Photos by Dan Mantle and Machi Yoshida. Blog written by Marine Biologist, Jennah Tucker.
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