Super excited about super predators
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There’s a deep sea canyon off the coast of southern Western Australia where, every year, an incredible array of sea life congregates for a feeding frenzy.
Every February and March the Bremer Canyon, 60 km offshore from Bremer Bay, is chock-a-block full of killer whales, sperm whales, giant squid, tuna, sharks and sea birds – all feasting on the smorgasbord of life.
No one knows exactly why this happens but theory is that it’s because of the methane that’s leaking out of the ocean floor, kilometres below the surface. The combination of pressure and temperature in the Bremer Canyon is just right to make methane gas act like a fertiliser rather than a poison. As that fertiliser moves from the sea floor to the surface, a sort of food chain chain reaction is generated. Plankton bloom, crustaceans eat the plankton, fish eat the crustaceans and so on until it’s like an all you can eat seafood buffet attracting predators from far and wide.
Last year, Naturaliste Charters started taking groups of people out to the Bremer Canyon on their 55ft whale watching boat. Next year, we’re going to join one of their orca tours for a day as part of our South Coast Explorer tours. Yessss – this is going to be an incredible experience!
During the 1.5 hour journey to the site, you can expect to see a variety of marine life including seabirds, dolphins, sharks, tuna and seals. At the Bremer Canyon we’ll hopefully see killer whales. In all the previous trips out to the canyon, killer whales have been present 99% of the time. Naturaliste Charters reckons that it’s quite possibly the largest aggregation of orca in the southern hemisphere.
If you’d like to join us for an absolutely fantastic 10 day tour of Western Australia’s southern coast, including a day with the orcas, check out the South Coast Explorer tour and then give us a call to book.
I’ve been guiding tours across Australia for over 20 years — from Kakadu to the Kimberley, Tasmania to Arnhem Land. Whether it’s sharing ancient stories, spotting wildlife, or walking through rugged landscapes, I’m passionate about helping travellers connect with Country.
