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Last Tuesday’s full video of the momentous Sperm Whale & Orca event. Documenting the first ever entirely filmed account of these oceanic apex toothed predators battle at the Bremer Canyon & the subsequent raid by the Orcas. With an incredible 6.2 nautical mile () pursuit, from the hotspot in 880m before the pod of Sperm Whales finally surfaced to exhale in 80m of water over the continental shelf. Exhausted & distressed the Sperm Whales formed a tight defensive huddle as the Orcas circled & coordinated their underlying motive of the hunt. Sperm Whales will usually demonstrate their immense power & danger to any threat, especially in maternal pods by deploying forceful peduncle & tail slapping. This defensive tactic was displayed on a small scale, swishing their flukes despite being fatigued from the marathon pursuit. With our intimate knowledge & respect of cetaceans, understanding their well being was essential. We quietly moved further away from our holdfast position over 100m, allowing them to recover undisturbed. The Orca had also left the panicked pod, without preying on them for good reason. At Naturaliste Charters we always endeavour to uncover the answers with conclusive proof furthering our understanding, genuine research & data collection. Uncovering the spoils of this raid, the meat recovered in the mouths of the orca potentially could’ve been Giant or Colossal Squid. Stolen from the Sperm Whales jaws or regurgitated in a defensive effort to relinquish a potential attack on themselves. With one Sperm whale also releasing its bowels & defecating, this also is a method to ward of predators by threatened prey. With Killer Whale expeditions running until April 21st, Blue Whales are also migrating through now. These gigantic titans of the deep are set for goliath pelagic clashes between the Bremer Orca over the next few weeks.
