Bremer Bay Orcas
On Monday I went out with Naturaliste Charters on their Bremer Bay Orca expedition. Bremer Bay is on the south coast of Western Australia roughly halfway between Albany and Esperence. I last visited Bremer Bay 50 years ago and you could buy a block of land there for AUD$100! It has grown but is still a fairly remote coastal hideaway.
Naturaliste Charters pioneered this nature tourist attraction. 50km out from Bremer Bay you go over the edge of the continental shelf and the depth plummets. There is an undersea canyon in this area and it is a hotspot for Orcas.
Monday proved to be no exception. Within a few minutes of arriving at the “hotspot” we encountered two pods of orcas. They stayed with us all day, repeatedly diving. They would surface close by. Occasionally we lost contact but within 15 minutes we regained contact. As the day went on they seemed to be lent on feeding and became more social. This included being more interested in the boat and at times they were underneath the boat and alongside.
Orcas were not the only attraction. The birdlife was prolific, mostly fleshfooted shearwaters, but also we saw Wilson’s storm Petrels, 2 Wandering Albatrosses, and many Indian Yellow Nosed Albatrosses. I am sure a seabird expert would have identified more species.
This is a fabulous trip and highly recommended to anyone interested in wildlife.
Here are some photos.
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