Whale Snapped ‘Playing’ With Dolphins Off The WA Coast
Dolphins are naturally playful creatures, and it turns out they’re not particularly fussy when it comes to picking playmates. Recently, drone photographer and Western Australia local Jaimen Hudson captured a pod of dolphins “playing” with a southern white whale in the water off Esperance.
Hudson told Lonely Planet he’d been following the whale as it made its way along the coast near the suburb of West Beach when a friend pointed out that the huge creature wasn’t alone. Fortunately, fresh drone batteries meant he was able to capture the rare sight.
[media_embed][/media_embed]“Right whales migrate from Antarctica to the Great Australian Bight between the months of May and November each year,” he explained. “We usually see them in Esperence between June and September, as they pass through.”
Hudson added he suspected such exchanges take place away from the prying eyes of humans, but this was the first time he’d captured one on camera. He said it didn’t appear to be an aggressive interaction.
“I know dolphins are incredibly intelligent creatures who seem to be playing constantly. They just happened to swim by as the whale was there and went over to interact with it.”
If you’ve ever wanted to get in the water with some real big fish, Western Australia is one of the only places in the world you can swim and snorkel with humpback whales as they migrate to warmer waters.
From this year, tour operators have been given the go-ahead to run such experiences around the Coral Coast and Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth. There are a number of safety protocols in place to ensure we humans are kept safe when paddling with the 40-tonne mammals.
And, who knows? You may just catch them hanging out with a pod of dolphins while you’re at it.
(Lead image: Jaimen Hudson / Instagram)
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