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Naturaliste Charters Bremer Canyon Killer Whale and Pelagic Expeditions

2 days ago

21.04.2024Today, we embarked on the final Bremer Canyon killer whale charter for the season aboard the Alison Maree. Anticipation was buzzing; our hearts raced with excitement for the final adventure ahead. Today, we followed a different track than usual to cover as much ground as possible in hopes of finding the orcas. First, we headed east, searching along the contours of the canyon systems below, before turning and heading west, travelling a further 16 nautical miles. Just before lunch, a giant oil slick was spotted on the surface. Oil slicks can indicate that a pod of orca could have recently passed through the area and potentially fed on something such as another whale. As we approached the slick, we spotted a chunk of white flesh floating on the surface. However, no signs of any other animals except flesh-footed shearwaters and albatrosses appeared nearby. We decided to head to the hotspot, hoping the orcas may have fed earlier in the day and made their journey back to the hotspot. We couldn’t believe what we were looking at when we found a deceased swordfish floating on the surface. The rear ½ of the swordfish was missing and had massive bite marks all over it. A short-finned mako shark circled the fish carcass and occasionally went in for bites. Circling from a distance was a smooth hammerhead who kept its distance from the feasting mako shark. The shortfin mako shark, recognised for its incredible speed and agility, is the fastest shark in the ocean, capable of reaching speeds up to 70 km per hour. With their pointed snouts, crescent-shaped tails, and metallic blue-grey colouring, shortfin makos are built for efficient hunting, preying on a variety of fish and cephalopods. As apex predators, they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems. Amongst the excitement of the swordfish and sharks, sea birds, including an Subantarctic shearwater, shy albatross, flesh-footed shearwaters, and Wilson's storm petrels, were all observed. Throughout the afternoon, we came across two pods of long-finned pilot whales. The first pod was travelling relatively slowly with ~30 individuals and began interacting with the boat. A few young calves were spotted swimming close by their mother’s side, sticking out by their lighter grey skin, compared to the rest of the darker mature individuals in the pod. As we continued our search west, we spotted another group of pilot whales moving much faster than the earlier ones, creating splashes spotted a long distance away.As we passed through the hotspot for one last time this season, we were unfortunately unable to find the orcas that we so hopd would appear for the season finale! Although it was incredibly disheartening, we are so grateful for all the unbelievable encounters we had this season with the orcas and all other wildlife. We passed Glasse Island for one last time and waved goodbye to the Australian sea lions basking and guard checking on the rocks. The young pup, born on the Island in January of this year, was suckling on mum, looking very healthy, which is a great sign! We look forward to returning next season and hopefully spotting some new sea lion pups!Photographs captured by Mark Jackman and Beth Carmody. Blog post written by Marine Biologist intern, Beth Carmody. ... See MoreSee Less

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Naturaliste Charters Bremer Canyon Killer Whale and Pelagic Expeditions

3 days ago

⚠️ Mating behaviour 💕Yesterday’s pelagic bonanza of Sperm Whales, Sunfish, Fur Seal, Turtle, Pilot Whales, Humpback Whales & Sea Lions.With the Killer Whales eluding us yesterday, our no Orca policy gifted passengers onboard a complimentary return expedition.It’s our final expedition today for the Bremer season & bookings are open now for next season commencing this December.🎥 Mark Jackman #spermwhale #pilotwhales #sunfish #furseals #sealions #humpbackwhales #bremerbaywa #naturalistechaters ... See MoreSee Less

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Naturaliste Charters Bremer Canyon Killer Whale and Pelagic Expeditions

3 days ago

20.04.2024Sperm whales, long-nosed fur seals, a turtle, pilot whales, a giant sunfish and the first humpbacks sighted for the season!Today, as the sun cast its golden glow upon the waters off of Bremer Bay, we travelled 19.9 nautical miles west of the hotspot in search of the orcas! The first blow sighted today was a sperm whale; however, before we were able to approach to see clearly, it arched its back and took a deep dive. Not long after, a long-nosed fur seal was spotted on the surface with a turtle nearby. Unfortunately, the turtle disappeared very quickly before we were able to get a photo or confirm the species. The long-nosed fur seal continued swimming at the surface and occasionally looking over to the boat. As we followed along behind, a large piece of debris was sighted on the surface and it seemed that the fur seal was just as interested in checking it out as we were! The debris turned out to be a wooden pallet, which deckhand Kane fished out with the boat hook. On our journey back to the hotspot another sperm whale blow was spotted ahead. Fortunately, this whale stayed on the surface, and everyone on board was able to see its the enormous body as it replenished its oxygen levels at the surface. The sperm whale remained at the surface for 7 minutes before defecating and diving down, showing off its beautiful, large tail flukes.On our last pass through the hotspot, we continued to search for any signs of the orcas, when blows were spotted by a keen-eyed passenger only 200m away. It was a small pod of pilot whales! Although they weren’t the animals we were searching for, this pod of long-finned pilot whales put on an incredible show for everyone on board. At first, we only spotted three individuals, all approaching very close to the boat and at a slow pace. One male was spotted tail lobbing and another was observed rolling on its back in front of the bow. Our onboard videographer, Mark, put the GoPro in the water and captured incredible footage of a male courting and mating with a female who had a calf. As the day was heading to an end, we had a surprise encounter with a giant sunfish (Mola alexandrini). Sunfish are fascinating creatures that inhabit oceans worldwide and are the heaviest bony fish in the world, with some individuals reaching weights of up to 2.3 tonnes. Despite their enormous size, their diet primarily consists of jellyfish, though they may occasionally snack on small fish and crustaceans. With their distinctive appearance characterised by their flattened bodies and elongated fins, they gracefully glide through the water, often basking at the surface to warm themselves.We couldn’t believe what we saw when heading home, big splashes of water indicating a whale breaching! Excitement shot around the boat as we approached the first humpbacks sighted in the area this season! This mother and her yearling calf were heading west, on their journey up from Antarctic waters, where they feed over the summer months, to the warmer breeding and calving grounds along the north west coast of Australia.We then observed the Australian sea lions basking on the rocks as we passed Glasse Island on the way home. We spotted two massive bulls, a few females and one adorable pup. Australian sea lions show sexual dimorphism, which means males and females have different body shapes. Bulls (mature males) usually have a chocolate-brown body with a creamy crown and neck. They can grow to about 2.5 meters long and weigh around 300 kilograms. Cows (females) are silvery grey on top with a creamy yellow underbelly. They reach lengths of about 1.8 meters and can weigh up to 105 kilograms.Although we had some incredibly close encounters with a handful of species today, we unfortunately did not find any orcas. We will head out tomorrow for our last day of the Bremer Bay orca season, and we will keep our fingers crossed that we find some orcas to finish the season on a high!Photographs captured by Neil Vincent and underwater images by Mark Jackman. Blog written by Marine Biologist intern, Beth Carmody. ... See MoreSee Less

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Naturaliste Charters Bremer Canyon Killer Whale and Pelagic Expeditions

4 days ago

19.04.2024After a quiet day on the water yesterday, we were all eager to get out to the hotspot and see what was in store for us today!As soon as we arrived at the hotspot, we were greeted by a very slow-moving pod of long-finned pilot whales. This pod of 20-30 individuals included several mature males which stood out due to the exceptionally broad base of their dorsal fins, which can be more than twice as long as the fin is tall! An adult male was observed from the bow of the boat lob tailing (lifting their flukes out of the water and splashing them down). This behaviour can indicate communication between individuls, warning off predators, attracting or deterring mates, and even just socialisation. As we decided to leave the pilot whales behind and search for the killer whales, we spotted another pod of ~20 individual long-finned pilot whales heading east, toward the others. A big bushy blow spotted up ahead led us over to a large sperm whale on the surface. We were able to stay with the sperm whale for 6 minutes before it took a deep dive into the depths of the canyon. The conical teeth of sperm whales are only found on the lower jaw and fit neatly into sockets in the upper jaw, which usually have no erupted teeth from the gum line. The teeth are almost entirely dentin, which is considered a form of ivory.Whilst continuing our search for the orcas, we spotted 6 Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses flying above the surface. The bird activity attracted us to the area as this often indicates the presence of cetaceans (whales and dolphins); however, with no blows in sight, we continued our search elsewhere to find the orcas.More blows were spotted on the surface and as we headed over, we spotted two massive dorsal fins belonging to two orca bulls named Nibbles and Digby. These two appeared to be hanging a fair distance behind the rest of their pod, so we headed over to see what the other individuals were up to. Amongst the pod, Razor and her calf, Lil Blade, approached the boat and interacted with us by swimming on their sides and upside down right by both sides of the boat. Other members in this pod we sighted today included Lucy Dash, Dundette, Mia and Galaxy. The pod appeared to be foraging, diving for roughly five minutes before surfacing for ~4 minutes at a time.After we decided to turn and head home, another sperm whale was spotted only 200m from the boat on the surface! Once we got close enough to take an ID photo, the crew quickly realised it was the same male sperm whale we spotted only a couple of days ago, on the 17th of April. This sperm whale was easily identifiable by a pronounced notch missing toward the top of his dorsal fin. As he took a deep dive down, we were able to snap an ID shot of his tail fluke to contribute to a large database (see www.happywhale.com), along with photos of his dorsal fin.To wrap up a wicked day on the Alison Maree, we passed by Glasse Island to see the Australian sea lions basking on the rocks. Today, we were lucky enough to see a juvenile suckling from its mum, a very cute sight! Today is a reminder that every day is different on the water, and you never truly know what you will see!Photographs captured by Neil Vincent. Blog written by Marine Biologist intern, Beth Carmody. ... See MoreSee Less

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Naturaliste Charters Bremer Canyon Killer Whale and Pelagic Expeditions

5 days ago

18.04.2024The Bremer Sub-Basin is made up of an array of deep, biologically active submarine canyons, some reaching more than 4500m in depth, that attract a myriad of marine life. Seasonal upwellings occur in the Bremer and adjacent canyons, which transport nutrients to the photic zone at the surface (0-200m depth), supporting the growth of phytoplankton (photosynthetic algae), which in turn supports zooplankton and a diversity of pelagic species including sea birds, cetaceans, sharks, squid and fishes. However, as the waters begin to cool and we near the end of our season in the Bremer Sub-Basin, the productivity in the area slows and things start to become a little more unpredictable. Some of our most interesting and exciting days on the water are followed by some of the quietest days, during which the Southern Ocean almost feels empty. The highly productive ‘hotspot’ area, which for the most part of our season provides a dense and predictable occurrence of prey for our apex predators, becomes less reliable for orca sightings and what is known to be the largest aggregation of orcas off the Australian coast, begins to disperse. Little is known about the distribution of this orca population during the cooler months, with only a handful of alleged sightings and one confirmed re-sighting having occurred in the decade that they have been studied. As the orcas begin to move out of the area, or use the habitat differently, we find we have to extend our search area and our interactions with the orcas become slightly more sporadic. Today’s search began at the hotspot and extended 20 miles out to the west. Aside from a few juvenile flying fish and seabirds, including Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses, fleshfooted shearwaters and Wilson’s storm petrels, there was very little sign of life in the area. Several blows were sighted early in the day but as we approached to investigate, the dorsal fins we hoped would appear on the surface never did, suggesting these blows may have been from long/deep diving species such as beaked whales. Given these animals can dive for over an hour at a time, we continued on. As we tracked back toward the hotspot, a smooth hammerhead was spotted in front of the bow. This species is identifiable compared to other species of hammerhead by its rounded cephalofoil (expansion of the head) that is free of notches. Smooth hammerheads are found around the entire coast of WA and reach up to ~3.5m in length. Smooth hammerheads feed on a range of food including squid, prawns, crabs and pelagic fish. They only live up to ~25 years, however have one of the highest reproductive rates of open ocean fishes, producing litters with ~20-50 pups at a time. Unfortunately though, this shark was very timid and swam down and away from the boat before we were able to take a photograph!As we searched the horizon for any signs of activity on the surface, our eyes began to play tricks on us and we eventually made the tough call to turn for home. While we were unfortunately unable to find the orcas during today’s charter, our hopes are high for their return to the area for tomorrow’s tour! On our way home we passed by Glasse Island and checked in on the Australian sealions which thankfully hadn’t received the orca’s memo that it was a day off, with multiple individuals sprawled on the rocks, resting.Photographs capture by Neil Vincent. Blog written by Marine Biologist, Jennah tucker and Marine Biologist intern, Beth Carmody. ... See MoreSee Less

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What we are currently seeing Whale Watching

Naturaliste Charters Whale Watching Expeditions run all year round !

Bremer Canyon Killer Whale Expeditions – From December to April, our full day expeditions visit the Bremer Canyon, one of the least explored places on earth, and the only place in Australia you can reliably encounter killer whales (orca), the ocean’s undisputed apex predator.

Your expedition along with seeing the Killer whales (Orca) you may also see pods of long-finned pilot whales, sperm whales, a rare beaked whale and the largest animal to ever have lived, the blue whale. You can also admire the acrobatics of large pods of bottlenose, striped, and common dolphins, and encounter shark species that include great whites, whaler sharks, and the beautiful oceanic blue, a species never seen from shore. Enormous oceanic sunfish surface, disc shaped bodies sometimes 2 meters across. The remains of giant squid sometimes float on the surface, a predator of the deep reduced to scraps, squabbled over by an astonishing array of pelagic seabirds including albatross, shearwater and petrel species. Rare species are sighted each season, including the Barau’s and Black-Bellied Storm Petrel. The Bremer Canyon is a place like no other on the planet. Your experience like no other in your life…

Augusta Whale Watching Eco Tours – From May to August, humpback whales visit the south west of Western Australia as they undertake their annual migration, an incredible journey from the feeding grounds of Antarctica to the warm waters of Australia’s north west and beyond to breed and calve. Our locations span the scenic south west, and as a result we have the longest whale migration season anywhere in the world.

From May, humpback whales arrive at the scenic seaside town of Augusta. Competitive, curious and acrobatic, this is whale watching at it’s most dramatic and spectacular. Rare blue, minke and fin whales are also sighted on occasion as they too make the epic trek north. From July, endangered southern right whales also arrive, giving birth to their calves in the protected waters of Flinders Bay.

Busselton and Dunsborough Whale Watching Eco Tours – From August to Early Dec as spring arrives, the whales retrace their steps south. The southern migration is special. In the protective care of their mothers, calves leave their birthplace in the tropical north and make the epic trek to Antarctic waters for the first time, an incredible journey for a baby just months old. The calm, protected waters of Geographe Bay offer a welcome respite to the weary wanderers, an opportunity to rest before crossing an entire ocean for the first time. The humpbacks arrive first, followed by regular sightings of blue whales from October through to early December.