While ORRCA’s Annual Whale Census over the weekend counted more than 2,000 whales travelling north, Tuesday (July 2) proved to be a special day for whale watchers on the Far South Coast as well.
A pod of eight killer whales were seen by keen whale watchers south of Eden. It comes almost exactly a year to the day after a pod of eight orca were sighted off Pambula, Merimbula and Short Point in late June 2023 with these apex predators, reportedly the same pod.
The crew aboard the Sapphire Coastal Adventures Cruise counted at least four adults, including the famous ‘Splitfin’, one large calf and one very small new calf.
Tathra photographer, David Rogers, was on board the boat and took some incredible shots of the orcas.
“It was an extra special day on the ocean when we encountered a pod of orca cruising past Greencape Lighthouse in Beowa National Park,” Mr Rogers said.
“Much to our delight it was the same pod of orcas we saw off Merimbula the same time last year. The pod was easily identified by the distinctive dorsal fin of the matriarch ‘Splitfin’.
“It was also wonderful to see the addition of two new calves.
“Amazing to have the best seats in the house to view these magnificent animals and apex predators of the ocean up close.”
Jessica Miller from Sapphire Coastal Adventures was the skipper on board and said it was a pretty special occasion.
“What a day, we departed from Eden and headed south searching for whales,” Miller said.
“We made it all the way to Green Cape and were heading back when we spotted ‘Splitfin’,” she continued.
“At first we were not sure what we saw, too small for a humpback whale, too large for a dolphin, a damaged dorsal. Then up she came and we recognised her as ‘Splitfin’, who is a well known orca on the east coast with a very distinctive split dorsal fin.”
The crew noticed ‘Spltfin’ was headed south and so journey with her, soon realising that she was accompanied by a large male.
“We travelled all the way back to the Green Cape Lighthouse before farewelling them as they rounded the point and we headed back south,” Miller said.
“Then another surprise as we approached Bittangabee we found the remainder of the pod. We counted at least four adults, one large calf and one very small new calf. They were heading south also, so back towards Green Cape we went.”
“This is the same pod of Killer Whales that we sighted off Merimbula in June 2023 and it was so wonderful to see that they had a new calf in their midst.”
“Feeling very grateful for this experience. Needless to say we were a little late getting back to the wharf.”
“I sighted ‘Splitfin’ off the Sapphire Coast back in 2014 and a friend of mine spotted her off Eden in 2009, so we know she’s at least 16 years-year-old.”
While orcas can travel at a top speed of 56km/h they usually travel no further than 65 kilometres in a day, meaning if the pod continued heading south (as of Tuesday morning) are likely to be somewhere off Nadgee Nature Reserve and Mallacoota.
Images: David Rogers / Sapphire Coastal Adventures
