Pelagic Magic - Orcas on the Gold Coast (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

I have been on about 15 pelagics along Australia's east coast since moving here a few years ago and there is rarely a dull trip. Yesterdays Southport pelagic (part of Queensland's Gold Coast) started well with a lone Brown Skua circling the boat a few km offshore. We then continued on the long journey to the edge of the shelf. As usual a really quite part of the trip with virtually no birds seen until we neared the shelf edge. We chummed at two spots (a cluster of seamounts) just beyond the shelf edge but the birding was very quiet. We had reasonable numbers of Providence petrels and a few Wilsons Stormies but nothing else until 2 Crested Terns (wow!? sarcastic remark - they are not really a pelagic highlight here) joined us after two hours of hard scanning and nothing to show for it. A sunfish enliven proceedings for a short while. However the poor birding was saved by the events of the trip back to port.

Halfway home we encountered a lively group of 60 odd Offshore Bottlenose dolphins riding the bow waves and jumping and back flopping beside the boat.

Then five kilometres from home I saw a huge triangular fin appear 40 m behind the boat. Killer whale immediately came to mind but I had never thought of them in Queenslands waters and shouted to stop the boat but didn't dare to shout 'Killer Whale'. We immediately realised this whale wasn't alone and that we had indeed encountered a pod of killer whales (minimum 6 probably up to 10 animals). This has to be one of the wildlife highlights of my live. Some of the whales came within a metre of the boat. We could feel the water from the spray! The large male (the fin we had first seen) was particularly impressive with a fin about 5ft in height. Incredible! There was also at least one mother and calf but they kept there distance and always surfaced side by side. (I have been planning on buying a digital camera this week - why the **** didn't I buy it last week!!).

Paul Walbridge who organises all the southport pelagics and informed us that most years a pod of Orcas follows the migrating humpbacks up the east coast of Australia on their journey to the Great Barrier Reef but we were still incredibly lucky to bump into it. Apparently they pick off the young whales and will also take the adults tongues!!

Anyway I thought I would share this amazing encounter with you. Has anyone else got stories of dull pelagics saved by the completely unexpected (bird, whale, engine catching fire!).

Cheers Dan B

Doing two Tassie pelagics next week - will let you know how they go.

Hi Dan

I really want to do a pelagic from the Gold Coast next time I visit Brisbane, so I can finally put to use the huge number of pages covering petrels etc. at the front of my Pizzey and Knight guide. Hope I get more birds than you did though! Have you been out from NSW?

Killer Whales (can't get used to calling them Orcas myself) will certainly liven up a pelagic. Whilst it's fairly common off the west coast of Iceland it's still a real thrill to see them, especially the large bulls. Seeing them from the hotel breakfast table was for many the highlight of a recent trip I guided in western Iceland.

Look forward to hearing about Tassie.

E

Hi
Always remeber seeing my first Killer Whales steaming north from Baga Ridge in Goa of all places, it was a magical moment.
I was lucky enough to get on a pelagic out of Port Fairy in Victoria, one of my all time best birding days.

Hi,

I'm jealous of the Orcas, my only experiecne of the species is a rather distant sighting at sea off Shetland, but even then the size of the male's fin was pretty impressive. I have to agree with Jule about the potential quality of Aussie pelagic trips though. I did one out of Sydney last October and the birding was superb. I certainly look forward to hearing about your Tassie trips.

Cheers,

Stuart

Hi, loved your adventure, can't wait for the Tasmanian pelagics.
Thanks
Julien