Curious Kimberley Whales

Aug 23, 2014

With a slightly windy start, 15 knots that is, rather than the glassy calm we have become accustomed to enduring – the breakfasting crew were amazed that at 730 we hadn’t been with whales for an hour already!  Hmm, fingers started twitching for shutters, hands reached for mike booms and upteen-zillion cameras sat at the ready.  Pretty soon the wind began to ease and all around there was a merry mix of blows and breaches, at every point on the compass.

The Kimberley is so beautiful.  The whales are so beautiful and behave uniquely while in this wild country.  I do not want to leave and I do not want this expedition to end.  We have observed secret moments with whales, between whales and cow/calf pairs sleeping for hours on end.  We have witnessed tenderness between cows and calves, seen “mother-bear” protectiveness of calves and wild and woolly behaviour of marauding males, purely interested in bankable females.  It is all go in the bedroom – right here in the Kimberley, the WA humpback whale calving and breeding ground!

In the clear water, whales seemed interested to look at Whale Song!

In the clear water, whales seemed interested to look at Whale Song!

In the clear water, several pods of whales seemed interested in checking our propellers and ships’ steering gear while we were drifting.  On the bow, then the stern, then amidships – they appeared to thoroughly examine our good ship.  The whales surfaced close to Whale Song several times, even blowing all over us!

We have documented 225 pods of 410 humpback whales and I have taken 63,000 photos in three weeks.  That’s an average of 154 photos per whale!  The crew is worried that I’ll get RSI in my right pointer finger!  No such luck!  I am ready for the journey south!

Fresh fires which raged beyond the sand-dunes on Dampier Peninsular brought an “other-worldly” sort of light throughout the day.  The sky, filled with smoke, created an unreal sunset with pairs of cows and calves popping up perfectly in the fading red sunlight.

With fires burning nearby, the smoky sky accentuated red sunset hues.

With fires burning nearby, the smoky sky accentuated red sunset hues.

Over dinner of delicious chicken chop suey, steamed rice, corn and rainbow chard – we toasted the success of this fantastic expedition!  Well done everyone!  What a wonderful opportunity to visit the Kimberley – my favourite place on earth!

By morning we shall be anchored at Cable Beach.  In Broome, we will resupply and depart early the next morning for Fremantle.  Looking forward to a mango smoothie in Chinatown!

Mich

 

 

 

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