‘Magnificent’ orcas put on show for boaters in Australia. See ‘bucket list’ moment
_fitted.png "The whale watchers said they identified at least eight whales in the pod they spotted off Australia’s Sapphire Coast.")
A boat full of whale watchers in Australia got an unusual treat while exploring the Sapphire Coast recently: a surprise visit from a pod of about eight orcas.
After they were alerted to sightings of the whales from the beach, the boat headed out near Merimbula, according to a June 26 Facebook post from Sapphire Coastal Adventures, the company that organized the trip. That’s when the passengers spotted “big black dorsals and blows.”
“We are still smiling after the most incredible afternoon on the water yesterday,” the post said. “We ... spent an amazing few hours watching these beautiful animals surfacing and cruising north.”
The group said they identified at least eight killer whales: two large males, several smaller females, at least one calf and Split Fin — a female killer whale known in Australia for her dorsal fin that is split, according to Mercury.
Experts believe Split Fin is the matriarch of the pod of whales. She was first catalogued in 2003, Killer Whales Australia wrote in a Facebook post about the recent sighting off Merimbula.
One of the passengers on the boat, David Rogers, captured photos of the orcas swimming and diving, a June 26 Facebook post shows.
“Ticked a huge bucket list experience yesterday afternoon,” Rogers said in his post. “Massive thanks to the crew at Sapphire Coastal Adventures for once again getting us the best seats in the house to view these magnificent animals and apex predators of the ocean up close ... definitely an experience I’ll never forget.”
Other social media users commented about the experience.
“That’s one very unforgettable once in a lifetime experience,” one person wrote on Facebook.
“Very happy for you and slightly envious I must say,” another person commented about the orca sighting.
“Oh my stars ... what an incredible sight,” a third commenter wrote.
Merimbula is on the southeast coast of Australia, about 280 miles south of Sydney.
This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 3:23 PM with the headline "‘Magnificent’ orcas put on show for boaters in Australia. See ‘bucket list’ moment."
