Tasman Venture Sightings

AM trip: Glassy conditions prevailed this morning which made spotting fairly easy up in the northern end of the bay. There were about 10 pods scattered around and we visited quite a few of them, with mainly mum/calf pods encountered, including a new one entering the bay. One had an escort with it and we dropped the hydrophone and had some of the most beautiful singing we have heard all season. It was so loud and we could hear the changes in verse as the male serenaded his female companion. Most of the whales were having a rest, lapping up the rays and the beautiful conditions.

PM trip: It was quite a differnt afternoon with a strong south easter hitting the area, which made for windy conditions. We travelled in nice and close to Fraser Island to stay in the protected waters and luckily came across 2 mums and calves hanging out together. They put on an amazing show for us, the calves playful the entire time we were with them and the mums occasionally bringing them in close to the boat for a good look. One of them was the young calf we had been seeing for a few days, but it surely knows how to breach! We had spotted some splashing out wider but decided not to go out into the messy conditions, and had more activity with this pod than we had all morning with several.

AM trip: We did some miles looking for our first pods, but they were a couple of mums feeding their calves. It sort of looked like the bay was starting to thin out, but then we spotted some splashing a couple of miles south so we went to investigate. It was a mum pec slapping and a calf breaching who put on quite a show. And then all of a sudden, quite a few pods started showing themselves around the area and another mum  and calf became active. Singing was also heard through the hydrophine and then the tail up feeder who has been around for nearly 2 weeks went into her feeding postion and gave our passengers the perfect photo opportunity for a tail shot.

PM trip: 6 pods were viewed this afternoon, with a bit of a mixture of everything. The first mum and calf were resting on the surface, then we noticed another one breaching in the distance. Upon arrival the mother stopped but the calf showed us a few. We also watched our tail up feeder in her usual postion, who was joined by another mum and calf. She seemed to be a bit aggitated by her arrival and was showing some unusual behaviour and them all of a sudden she did a few huge head lunges which also set off the calf. Amazing sight as she is a fairly decent size whale. She settled back down eventually and whilst watching another pod, i heard some singing standing on the front deck, so over the side the hydrophone went, to pick up the very loud song from a male somewhere around us. Still good numbers for this time of the season!

AM and PM trips: A fairly quiet day all round today with the last whales of the migration hanging around the bay. Still about 10 pods sighted all up, but the bay was calm and the whales were soaking up the rays and resting their bodies before the huge migration south to Antartica. Mainly mums and calves with the odd male lurking around, with a singer heard in the afternoon. We saved the best until last with a very active calf putting on an awesome display of breaching to impress the passengers and show them what makes these magnificent animals so special. A loggerhead turtle was spotted and an offshore bottlenose dolphin came around the boat for a visit.

AM trip: As soon as we left the harobour this morning we came across a pod of indo pacific humpback dolphins who were feeding in the shallows. Then up into the bay we went, looking for the humpbacks. The first one we sighted was an elusive singleton, so off to find some more. Topsy was our next whale, in her typical head up feeding postion for her calf. She is great around the boat as she is very much used to having our company. A patch of rain came across which didn’t help our viewing, but didn’t last long. We then found a pec slapping mother who went quiet when we got close. We then ventured inshore with 2 mums and calves who put on a great little display. One of the mothers had damage to the ends of her tail. Some breaching in the distance was also spotted.

PM trip: A calf showed us how these whales breach to start off with and also threw in a few rolls, with mum resting before she heads out of the bay and heads for the Antartic. A young mother was the next to be found, but she bought her calf into the bow of the vessel for a close look. We then spotted some splashing inshore and found a very active calf with mum and escort. The escort was staying down a fair while but in the end was showing off to mum with a few huge peduncle rolls and fluke up dives.

AM trip: Our first 2 pods were quiet and were very young mums with young calves, just having a rest in Platypus Bay. We then found a mother and calf breaching about a mile away so we decided to check them out. The mum stopped but the calf was on a roll, showing our excited passengers how playful they can be when they are here in the bay. We then went to watch 2 mums and calves and once again Topsy was found. Her calf rolling around with another baby, whilst heading up to Rooneys Point, indicating she may be on the way out, having been here for well over a week. Singing was heard through the hydrophone.

PM trip: We knew that we would have to head up into the northern part of the bay and decided to go a bit wider to see if we could spot any new whales coming in. This decision payed off as we found a couple of pods splashing about farily close to each other. And then more pods became visable so we had a few different ones to choose from. And once again we found Topsy who had done a U turn and had come back into the bay, which was great as she has been an awesome whale and her calf sure knows how to breach, showing our passengers how it’s done! An escort showed up as well to keep them company. She also mugged us for a while, giving our passengers a great close encounter with these magnificent animals. A few other pods were viewed with some calves active and a mother pec slapping. Singing was heard again this afternoon.

AM trip: Well you wouldn’t think it was getting to the end of the season as there is still a lot of whales in the bay. We had a great morning with a many active whales. Our famous Topsy is still around and was first spotted with a tail up feeder, would have been pretty funny if they fed their calves together, one head up and one tail up! The tail up feeder had a very young calf within 2 weeks old. They did split to feed their babies so we checked out both their unusual positions. Breaching calves were going off, along with a mum and calf breaching in the distance. Singing was heard this morning. We had a beautiful  scenic trip along Fraser Island on the way home.

PM trip: We ventured up to the area we were this morning and came across Topsy and the tail up feeder again, great to show the passengers our famous whales and unusual feeding postions. No escorts were spotted but we had a singer around the area as we had fairly loud singing coming through the hydrophone. A couple of other mum and calf pods were viewed with a breaching calf and one that was throwing in some peduncle rolls. Another resight for Tasman Venture as well, with a mum recognised from 2009.

Am: A beautiful crystal clear morning in the bay. We went from pod to pod watching several mother and calf pods breaching. They were playful all around the bay but seemed to go quiet for feeds. We stopped on two adult whales that came in for a really close look. We lowered the back platform for a close encounter as the two whales ‘mugged’ the boat. Everybody was full of excitement going from one side of the boat to the other trying to get the perfect close up photo. On the way home we stopped and had a look at a curious minke whale which was an extra special treat to end such a fantastic morning.

Pm: Thinking the day couldn’t get any better we headed back out into Platypus Bay. To our surprise the first mother and calf pod we saw became curious and came straight over for a close look. The mother pushed the calf on her head and the calf became very intrigued, rolling over looking at the people and hanging around for quiet some time. We watched these whales meet up with another mother and calf pod. The two calves swam along peduncle throwing while the mothers pec slapped. Another mother and calf pod made its way towards the group then they all split. We were left watching a little calf breaching over and over again, at one point so close to the boat people got wet!! Just a beautiful day, we couldn’t have asked for anything more.

AM trip: Most of the morning was spent with a pod of 3. It was a mum/calf/escort pod but it was very confusing which one was the mother of the calf. They reason for this being there was a lot of pushing and shoving going on with the adults (and even the calf at times), indicating mating type behaviours. Usually we have no dramas working out the male from the female but in this chase what seemed like the male could have been a real cranky dominant female protecting her calf. Otherwise it was the male next to the calf the whole time, maybe pushing the mum away from the baby. We left them going round and round in circles with the knowledge that sooner or later it would calm down and either mating would take place or the male would just give up. Other pods were spotted, singing was heard and some breaching was witnessed.

PM trip: Breaching started the trip with a very active calf and it actually ended our trip as well with the same one. But in between we found our famous “Topsy” the head up feeder, at it again, head up in the distance so we thought we’d show our passengers this unusal feeding position. She has been around for at least a week now, and also recorded in the bay in 2001 and 2209. She came in close to the boat as well, showing her calf off. We also spotted a large sea snake and some inshore bottle nose dolphins. The same pod we watched first was very active on the way home so we took another look and as well as the calf breaching again, we had one of the adults launch out of the water as well. Still heaps of whales around the bay so come and see the last of the migration.

AM trip: We watched some new whales entering the bay first up this morning, still in travelling mode. A couple of mum and calves came together next joined by an escort and the calves started breaching. Saved the best until last with a mum/calf/escort pod. The escort was putting on a great display of pec slapping, trying to impress the female. The female was quite friendly as well, bringing her calf into the boat and showing it off. It also was breaching at times, playing around as a lot of the calves do.

PM trip: Heaps of pods around up off  Triangle Cliff, including lot’s of mums and calves and some escorts as well. Singing was heard through the hydrophone all day today, with a couple of different males blasting out their song. We ended up having some great close encounters with the friendly mum and calf from this morning. She was pushing her baby in, circling around us, with the escort happy to tag along and check us out as well. It was a great afternoon and a breaching calf topped it off!

AM trip: Our first pod this morning put on an amazing display for us. It was a mum, calf and male escort with a lot of courtship behaviours going on. Both adults were pec slapping, showing us their huge pectoral fins. The calf didn’t seem to mind all the ruckus and rolled around while the adults showed off to each other. There were also a large pod of inshore bottlenose dolphins in with them, including a tiny little baby one. Once it all settled down, we went off to find some more and had a mum head lunging and calf breaching. Singing was also heard from another male escort. Our last pod was a mum, calf and escort who came into the boat and mugged us for the rest of the trip. Some passengers had awesome eyeball contact through the unerwater viewing windows.

PM trip: A couple of quiet pods were found on the way out this afternoon, and then we found a couple of mother and calves together. The calves were quite playful for a while but soon split and we ended up with one pair coming in and around the boat for a close encounter, the mother at times pushing the calf with her head in towards us, proudly showing off her baby. Off to some other pods that were also quiet and then finishing off on a breaching/head lunging calf.