Sea World Cruises whale watchers were treated to a rare wildlife encounter on the Gold Coast Seaway last week. Two sub-adult whales were seen swimming amongst dolphins hunting fish.
A pod of bottlenose dolphins rounded up a school of pilchards fish into a tight concentration known as a bait ball for their afternoon tea. The dolphins were accompanied by seabirds diving in to take a piece of the tasty prize. Passengers and crew were surprised to spy two humpback whales engrossed in the action.
A humpback whale lunge feeding in Monterey Bay. Supplied: Unsplash
The whales were seen lunging on their sides through the bait ball. It is uncommon for humpbacks to be seen in the seaway and even more uncommon for them to interact with various wildlife. Humpback whales typically feed over the summer in Antarctica.
However, this rare encounter supports that the whales may also feed opportunistically during their great migration. No studies have confirmed the reason behind this change of behaviour as of yet. Witnessing such an unusual multispecies feeding event so close to shore is a spectacle Sea World Cruises will never forget.
Meanwhile, mother humpback whales have been busy training their calves on whale behaviour a little further off the shoreline. Dozens of calves of the season were seen over the last week.
Babies are being sighted to begin to learn to breach. Passengers have had fun watching the calves clumsily follow their mother’s instructions on how to whale. Mum will show the bub what to do and watch their little one mimic her behaviour.
A humpback whale calf breaching during a Sea World Cruises whale watching tour.
It takes quite some time for babies to perfect their behaviours, with some excelling faster than others. Last week a baby was sighted doing the opposite of what they were being shown, similar to a human toddler ignoring their parent’s instructions.
A mother humpback whale and her calf during a Sea World Cruises whale watching tour.
Mother and calf pairs can be seen meeting up for play dates, giving the mothers time to rest whilst the little ones show off their skills. The Gold Coast Bay is expected to see dozens more calves of season enter the area through the next few weeks.
Sea World Cruises Whaletacular School Holidays are approaching. Kids will receive a FREE activity pack with every ticket purchased. Whale Watching Cruises depart up to seven times daily from Sea World Cruise Terminal at Sea World in Main Beach.
For more information, visit seaworldcruises.com.au.
