A Whale of a Time
26 August 2012 | Orpheus Island
Susie
Tourists pay a lot of money to do what we have just done, 5 glorious days on Orpheus Island. I believe the rack rate is $1400 a night per couple. It’s a beautiful island with glorious sunsets, pristine water and an abundance of wildlife. We got a taste of the wildlife as we entered the bay, we could see a line of black fins slowly moving through the water which put paid to our plans to go snorkelling. Coming closer we realised it was not sharks but half a dozen huge manta rays with a 3m wing span moving up and down a stretch of still water. It was such an unusual sight that a boat load of personnel from the Research Station came over to watch the procession.
Even more enthralling was the number of whales which drifted into the bay every day to rest or to suckle their young. (Jim vows and declares one baby was completely white, so Migalo has been breeding.) We’re expected to stay 100metres away from whales but there’s no restriction on how close they can come to us and they drifted around the bay visiting each of the yachts in turn before heading back on their route south. One mum and her calf entertained us for half the day with their gentle meanderings and body rolls and then by finally leaping out of the water.