Aug 06, 2014
The milky turquoise water of Camden Sound is bordered to the east by mainland Australia from Raft Point north including Hall Point and Wilson Point towards to Needle Rock and Kannamatju Island. The northern boundary of Camden Sound comprises Augustus Island, the Heywood Islands and the Champagny Islands. It is a stunning area of coastline, clearly a suitable place to bring baby humpback whales into the world and a beautiful place for creating them. This is the Camden Sound Breeding and Calving Ground.
Flukes!
At 730am we raised the anchor and slowly moved northward past Bumpus Island and then south near the southern side of Wilson Point hugging the coast in the smooth calm water. Just after 8am with the coffee machine in over-drive by the breakfasting crew, Daffy monitored a sonobuoy recording many and varied fish sounds, as well as four humpback whale singers.
Scanning the aqua sound we searched and searched for dark bodies resting at the surface, looking island-like. Sure enough, multiple pods filled the datasheets, our binoculars, camera lenses and memory cards. It is so good to be here! I remembered that yesterday, being August 5th was the 25th anniversary of finding our humpback whales in the Dampier Archipelago. It feels like yesterday that Curt and I were bobbing in Nova, our 5.8m Novurania (Italian inflatable) when we encountered a pod of two humpback whales migrating south and then right behind them another pair! “We are on the humpback highway!” we declared!
The sky is on fire!
Of course, many things have occurred in the last 25 years, we have raised two gorgeous girls at sea, operated from four different vessels including one we built and another we refit, travelled up/down the WA coast documenting humpback migration paths and patterns, bounced ourselves to the Perth trench and back conducting pygmy blue whale research, sailed half way around the world to bring our good ship Whale Song back to Fremantle and circum-navigated Australia three times including our recent summer voyage to Antarctica! Along the way, we have learnt an enormous amount about cetaceans, as well as becoming a little greyer while gathering more adventure/laughter lines! It has been wonderful, due to current trends in social media, to be able to share these experiences as they happen. Micah, our shore-based, eldest daughter has been posting our current blogs from my daily satellite emails with attached prose and images. Thanks Micah, you are doing a wonderful job!
After an action-packed day with many pods of whales, we were happy to enjoy Resty’s secret recipe of soya/lemon roast chicken (don’t worry there are more secret ingredients added!) with mashed potato, steamed rice, broccoli, sweet corn and salad. Soon after dinner we anchored on Hull Bank around 830pm under a waxing moon and sparkling, starry Kimberley sky. Ah…
With a humpback smile on my dial, tonight it will also be 1, 2…,
Mich
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