Perth Canyon Pygmy Blue Whale Season 2021

By Micheline Jenner on June 8, 2021 in Whale Song Reports

Goosey on the Loose

During a spell of glassy calm autumn Perth weather, the CWR and AIMS crew, aboard RV Whale Song tagged a few more pygmy blue whales in the Perth Canyon.

With a flippy-floppy gooseneck barnacle as opposed to an acorn barnacle, this whale has a psuedo-stalked barnacle (Xenobalanus globicipitis) on the trailing edge of its upright dorsal fin we named this animal Goosey. This whale is another pygmy blue whale foraging in the Perth Canyon among many observed this 2021 season.

Pygmy blue whales, one of the streamlined rorqual whales, including fin, sei, Brydes and minke whales, do not store huge amounts of blubber, like the more rotund humpback whales, but instead roam the open oceans taking advantage of seasonal food supplies. Their thin, streamlined bodies are efficiently built for long-distant travel between these intermittent ocean cafes.

Click on the link below to follow Goosey’s movements (shown by blue dots), as well as Rosemary, a large pregnant female (shown by green dots) and ANZAC (shown by red dots), which were tagged on ANZAC Day to see how they are making use of available krill patches in the Perth Canyon and Perth Basin. This map is current to June 08, which shows ANZAC progressing towards the Coral Triangle in the Banda Sea of Indonesia. This is really cool!

https://my.wildlifecomputers.com/data/map/…

#whales #bluewhales #pygmybluewhales #whaleresearch #marineconservation #rvwhalesong @australianmarinescience #centreforwhaleresearchwa #centreforwhaleresearch

Photos by Micheline Jenner/AM

Goosey, so-named for the pseudo-stalked barnacle (Xenobalanus globicipitis) dangling from its upright dorsal fin.

The heart of the ocean. From the depths to the surface, they come to breathe.

Pale grey blotches cover the bodies of pygmy blue whales. All these patterns are unique, as well as the dorsal fin shape and the often-associated white blaze.

In the clear deep water Goosey’s pale grey body appears as an alluring turquoise blue streak.

Wahoo, we LOVE it!

2 Responses to Perth Canyon Pygmy Blue Whale Season 2021

Jack Baker June 11, 2021 at 2:31 pm #

Gidday,
Jack Baker is my name, – a friend of Bill Dull, – ( you have signed previous copies of your book for meI ).
I have purchased numerous copies of your book (New Editions bookshop) and am hoping you can sign a copy for me, as l wish to present your book as a gift, to a young couple who recently visited Perth, on a whale watching trip – that COVID lockdown ‘destroyed’ !
My telephone no. is 0401080 441.
E mail ; jakbak54@gmail.com
Home address ; 29 Halse Cres, Melville.
Hopefully this unorthodox comms gets to you – (as l am a computer ‘troglodyte’).
Kindest regards, JB.

- Curt Jenner June 11, 2021 at 4:19 pm #
  
  Hi Jack,
  
  Thanks for your message.
  
  Yes, we would be delighted to sign your copy of the book. You are our #1 fans and we greatly appreciate this!
  
  We will be available on Monday June 14, 2021 from 9-5 pm aboard RV Whale Song. We are situated in the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour at:
  
  RV Whale Song
  at the end of Capo D’ Orlando Drive
  South Fremantle
  WA 6162
  
  My phone number is 0418 912 669. Please call and we can arrange a time on Monday.
  
  Best,
  
  Mich