Wednesday 26th October 2011

The weather improved from yesterday although still overcast. CAT BALOU picked up a mother & calf just inside South Head at Eden. We had an unexpected close encounter with the mother who fluked up only metres in front of CAT BALOU. After following this rather quiet par for half an hour we left this pod and headed north finding another mother/calf south of Leonards Island. Another pod was in very close to the shoreline. We followed one pod back to Twofold Bay with the whales on the surface frequently and also had a breach from the calf. We stopped CAT BALOU and put the hydrophone into the ocean and great singing was heard. Another mother & calf were seen near the heads of Twofold Bay and we had a close look at this pair.  School children on the afternoon trip had a memorable experience with a very active Humpback - an adult who breached on a number of occasions, head lunged and pec slapped. Several other pods were also in the area, just outside Twofold Bay.  No dolphins were seen on either trips but plenty of seals. 

Tuesday 25th October 2011
It was a wet morning today onboard MERIMBULA MARINA and all passengers were given the opportunity to transfer through to tomorrow. Several decided to brave the wet and were pleased they did when they saw two pods of mothers and calves and some spectacular breaching displays. We also had some lovely close encounters and it was a great trip!
No Afternoon trip due to low tide in afternoon.

Tuesday 25th October 2011
It was a bleak day out on the water with grey skies; showers and a SE swell which developed during the morning. The weather didn't deter many passengers and during the morning we found three pods of whales. The first sighting was a mother & calf just east of South Head. While we were watching this pair of whales, lots of Common Dolphins joined us and stayed with us for most of the morning, accompanying CAT BALOU north after we left the first pod of whales. Two adult Humpbacks were found off Leonards Island but the conditions had deteriorated, making it hard to track them. As we were heading back to Twofold Bay we saw a whale breach. We picked up what appeared to be a yearling and it breached close to us. A coach group on an afternoon bay cruise were thrilled to find three whales in Twofold Bay with the calf breaching several times.

Monday 24th October 2011
It was a very warm and humid morning as MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue headed out for our morning cruise. 11 whales were seen just as we rounded Long Point and they were very active! Lots of breaching, tail slapping, pectoral fin slapping! We also had some fantastic close encounters. In addition to these whales we also saw a competition pod of 4 further north. A very large pod of Common Dolphins also put in an appearance, delighting all onboard with their playful antics.
No Afternoon trip due to low tide in afternoon.

Monday 24th October 2011
Another day when there were lots of whales around the Twofold Bay area and plenty of action. CAT BALOU were with a mother & calf just inside North Head early into their trip, however Skipper Gordon decided to head south to an active pod which was a mother, calf and two other adults. The calf was active with a number of peduncle throws and we watched this pod at close range for some time. With a freshening NE wind we motored north and found a couple of pods near Leonards Island. Two mother/calf pods travelling together provided great entertainment with both calves breaching a number of times. The second trip didn't have to travel far before whales were spotted in Twofold Bay. We watched a quiet mother & calf but left them as we could see a lot of tail slapping towards South Head. An adult gave an impressive display of tail slapping and a mother & calf cruised nearby. In Honeysuckle Bay we found another mother & calf and this calf was one which has been traced travelling down the eastern Australian coast, a distinctive animal with a fluke which is white on the topside. No dolphins today but the seals were still at the breakwall.

Sunday 23rd October 2011
Today was a great day for whale watching and we sighted good numbers on both trips. This morning passengers on MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue did not have to wait long before sighting whales. In fact we saw so many whales that we almost lost count! At least 25 whales were recorded during the cruise, predominately mothers, calves and escorts. Lots of breaching, pectoral fin slaps and numerous close encounters with several mothers and calves.
True Blue was back out again this afternoon and travelled across the Bay with a pod of five mothers and calves. Again there was a lot of whale action, breaching, tail slapping, pectoral fin slapping and some special close encounters. A fantastic day of whale watching!!

Sunday 23rd October 2011
CAT BALOU today sighted whales, whales and more whales! The morning trip began sighting whales minutes after leaving the Eden wharf with a mother, calf & sub adult close to Aslings Beach. The calf was very active on the surface with lots of photo opportunities. Several more pods were within Twofold Bay along with quite a few Common Dolphins. We found a breaching adult near the heads who launched itself out of the water several times - an impressive sight. Many more whales were seen as CAT BALOU headed east and one of the more unusual whales was a Type 1 Humpback with the back & side section of the body white. Throughout the trip we saw tail slapping and pec slapping with most pods active. When we put the hydrophone overboard we could hear a whale singing. The second trip didn't get outside Twofold Bay as we had plenty of whales close by. One mother had a very distinctive fluke and we she gave lots of fluke ups. This calf plus another calf who was travelling with three adults were very active and breached on a number of occasions. Great viewing on both trips.

Saturday 22nd October 2011
Another glorious morning of whale watching this morning aboard MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue. We followed 2 pods of mothers and calves across the Merimbula Bay. Several close encounters providing passengers with some very close viewings. In addition to the whales this morning we also encountered a young common dolphin entangled in fishing line. This was a very sad sight to see as the dolphin was struggling to swim. One of our crew came to its rescue, swimming out and managing to cut the line free. It was a wonderful sight to see it swimming back to the pod!

The NE breeze had picked up for the afternoon cruise another mother and calf were spotted in the Bay. The mother was a very large whale and we had some lovely pectoral fin slapping and several close encounters.

Saturday 22nd October 2011
The 'Humpback Highway' off Eden today was very busy with CAT BALOU sighting numerous whales throughout the day. The morning began with a sighting of two adults who had long down times however we had our eyes on another three pods in Calle Calle Bay so a decision by crew was made to go to these whales. A good decision as we had several mother/calf pods together with the calves quite active. One of these whales had shocking breath which caused amusement amongst the passengers. The pod finally split and we headed outside Twofold Bay sighting two more pods. We could see lots of birdlife and dolphins a kilometre away and with perfect sea conditions headed out to a huge pod of Common Dolphins. Quite a few more whales were also in this area and we spotted several breaching whales near Leonards Island. Back in Twofold Bay we picked up more Common Dolphins as well as a pod of three adults and a calf. A coach group on an afternoon Twofold Bay Cruise were also in luck sighting several pods including a mother & calf who cruised close to CAT BALOU much to the delight of the passengers. The seals were hauled out on the breakwall along with some swimming were also seen on both trips. Today was a special day for members for Boyd Family from Queanbeyan and we as operators of Cat Balou remember this special lady who came whale watching on one of our first years of watching many years ago.

Friday 21st October 2011
The weather this week certainly has been fantastic! The morning was warm and sunny and whales were found soon after departure. Several pods of Mothers and calves were sighted throughout the MERIMBULA MARINA morning cruise. Close encounters, tail slapping, fluke up dives, pectoral fin slapping were all observed.
The NE breeze picked up for the afternoon cruise. A mother and calve were sighted soon after departure and we had some special encounters with them as we crossed the Bay.

Friday 21st October 2011
CAT BALOU had a frustrating start to their whale watching today. We hadn't been on the water long before we spotted a breaching whale a couple of miles away. As we reached the area where the whale had been seen we spotted at least four pods of whales, however they were all in a strange mode - blowing, surfacing and then disappearing. We put the hydrophone overboard and picked up a whale singing. We made a decision to head north and close to shore off The Pinnacles we found an active mother/calf pod with the mother pec slapping. After a while they went quiet so we continued north finding another two pods with a calf breaching once. Not far away more whales were seen with quite a bit of activity so we headed their way and had a great time with a super active calf. We witnessed many breaches, head lunging, pec & tail slapping and peduncle thrusts. This little chap ensured passengers got value for their money! As CAT BALOU headed towards Eden we found Common Dolphins and spotted a few more whales in the distance. There were 7 seals hauled out on the breakwall.

Thursday 20th October 2011
Another beautiful morning on the ocean. MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue did not have to travel far before we found our first pod of whales. Two mothers and calves were just off Short Point. As we arrived we soon realised that there were more whales in the area – in all we counted 7 mothers and calves we travelled slowly with these whales, watching as whales breached around us, tail slapped, pectoral fin slapped and numerous fluke up dives. Another three pods of mothers and calves were also sighted, making it 10 mothers and calves for the morning!
Just as in previous days the NE breeze had picked up for the afternoon cruise. We spent most of the cruise with a mother and calf watching as the mother taught her calf a whole range of humpback acrobatics – tail slapping, tail lobbing, peduncle throws, spy hopping, pectoral fin slapping. Breaching whales could also be seen in the distance.

Thursday 20th October 2011
CAT BALOU was kept busy today with a whale watching cruise and two Twofold Bay Discovery Cruises. We began the day sighting whales towards South Head. Between South Head and Murwaree there were pods of whales everywhere, all mothers with their calves. At one stage we had six pods in close proximity to CAT BALOU. Two mother/calf pods affiliated and there was some playful behaviour from the calves. Passengers could not believe just how close to the shore the whales were - just metres off the coastline.  Leaving these whales after viewing them for an hour and a quarter we headed north picking up Common Dolphins who accompanied us for part of the trip back to Twofold Bay. As we rounded South Head we saw a breaching whale. A calf breached several times at close range which is what everyone hopes to see when out whale watching. Another mother & calf were 6oo metres north and we got some good fluke ups from the mother. As we rounded the breakwall, checking out our seal colony a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins were found so we took them for a ride, topping off another successful morning. On the second trip around the bay a coach group received a bonus when we found three adults mid bay. The third trip also managed to find two mother/calf pods on the southern side of Twofold Bay with active calves peduncle throwing, tail slapping and a number of breaches.

Wednesday 19th October 2011
Sun shining, calm seas and not a breathe of wind as MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue headed out this morning. One of our land based spotters put us onto a mother and calf at Tura Beach. As we arrived we discovered others in the area. Throughout the morning we travelled with three mothers and calves. These pods joining on several occasions. When they did there was lots of activity, especially from the calves. Tail slapping, pectoral fin slapping and several close encounters. Interestingly one mother was missing her dorsal fin.
A NE breeze had picked up for the afternoon cruise. As True Blue crossed the bar we could see whales breaching in the distance so we headed out to take a closer look. As we approached they went quite so we waited for a short time before heading back in close in the hope of picking up some mothers and calves. We were not disappointed and found two mother and calf pods near Short Point. The calves were extremely active and lots of breaching, tail slapping, pectoral fin slapping were seen. One passenger remarked “I did not know where to look, on one side of the boat were whales breaching and on the other side there were whales feeding! Magnificent!!” A pod of Common Dolphins also joined us for a while.

Wednesday 19th October 2011
Conditions on the water today were good with only a light NE breeze and sunny. CAT BALOU got the day off to an early start spotting two pods just inside Twofold Bay. One was a mother/calf pod and another two sub adults who gave us some close encounters.  After leaving these whales after 45 minutes we spotted another pod of two adults heading south. The hydrophone picked up some singing again today. Off The Pinnacles we found another two mother/calf pods travelling quite close to each other. We were hoping the calves might become playful, however they seemed content to just head south, enjoying the sunshine & calm seas with mum giving some nice fluke ups. A coach group from Merimbula on an afternoon Twofold Bay Discovery Cruise were excited to see a mother/calf pod in Calle Calle Bay with a couple of close encounters. The seals were spotted on the breakwall on both trips.

Tuesday 18th October 2011
This morning passengers aboard MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue sighted their first whales soon after departing. We met a mother and calf just as we were rounding Long Point. We travelled with them across the Bay, viewing another two pods of mothers and calves as we went. These mothers and calves were content to keep their distance and it was quite peaceful travelling across the Bay with them.
The wind had again picked up by the afternoon cruise and thankfully we found whales breaching at Long Point!! This afternoon was all about Humpback acrobatics!! Breaching, tail slapping, head slapping, pectoral fin slapping, fluke up dives, spy hopping – we had it all!! Most of the action was coming from the calves but it was great to see!

Tuesday 18th October 2011
CAT BALOU had two whale watching cruises today and on both trips the passengers were treated to lots of action from the whales. As we rounded South Head this morning we spotted whales towards Murwaree. As we were heading south to them a sub adult appeared without warning. It was in zigzag mode so we left it and headed to the whales we had originally seen. As we motored towards them we could see lots of pec slapping and this continued until we arrived. The spectacular sight of the mother & calf breaching together thrilled passengers and the calf breached another couple of times. This pair were moving north, stopping on several occasions with the mother pec slapping. We stopped the boat and heard singing on the hydrophone. Just east of Twofold Bay we saw another two adults who gave a couple of good fluke ups. As the cruise was coming to the end we spotted action just off the Eden Lookout. The original mother & calf

had ended up in Twofold Bay and we had breaches from both the mother & calf plus more pec slapping A spectacular finale to the trip. The second trip found this same pod who had cruised into Calle Calle Bay. The mother continued to pec slap. They finally headed around North Head and we picked up blows from another couple of pods in the area. We opted to follow a mother, calf & escort who headed into Twofold Bay and we had breaches from both the calf & mother at close range. No dolphins were spotted today, however the seals were still hanging around the breakwall.

Monday 17th October 2011
This morning was a fantastic morning of whale watching. 11 Whales were sighted throughout the cruise. Passengers had some great close encounters and MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue was mugged for half an hour by a mother, calf and escort who were very inquisitive. Passengers were eyeballed by these whales who swam under and around the boat. We watched on in amusement as these whales played with a few seals. A large pod of Common Dolphins were sighted on the homeward journey as they passed in front of True Blue. They were not interested in joining us and looked to be heading somewhere with purpose!The wind had picked up for the afternoon cruise and True Blue headed north in close hoping to pick up a mother and calf. We found a mother, calf and escort just off Bournda and travelled back with them.

Monday 17th October 2011
It was another calm but cold day on the water this morning. CAT BALOU found a mother & calf right in Twofold Bay just minutes after leaving the Eden wharf. We watched this pair as they cruised around, not in a hurry to head south. Also in Twofold Bay was a juvenile which passengers got a good look at as it appeared to be sleeping on the surface. We could see some action to the NE so we headed in that direction and found a mother & calf. Another mother/calf pod just inside this pair were splashing around so we opted to watch them with the calf breaching a number of times. We followed them from Leonards Island to North Head. Leaving them we headed north picking up a large pod of Common Dolphins. There was a lot of bird activity in this area with many Albatross & Shearwaters. Off The Pinnacles we picked up another pod consisting of a mother, calf and escort. These were great whales to watch. The escort lay on its back for a long time waving its pecs whilst the calf began pec slapping. We also had a few spy hops & peduncle throws from both the calf and adult. We finished the morning checking out the seals at the breakwall.

Sunday 16th October 2011
The conditions this morning were perfect for whale watching! Our land based spotters again phoned in with reports of whales near Short Point and by the time we got out there we met a mother and calf at Long Point. We travelled across the Merimbula Bay sighting another 8 pods of mothers and calves all in the Bay and feeding again on the krill. We had several close encounters with different mothers and calves. Passengers on board MERIMBULA MARINA were all astounded by a full body breach from one of the calves, this calf seemed to come from almost out of nowhere, leaping clear out of the water and landing with an almighty splash!! Several family groups of Australian Fur Seals were also seeing throughout the morning. A beautiful morning on the ocean!

Sunday 16th October 2011
A SW change overnight made conditions perfect for cruising today. CAT BALOU had spotted a number of pods from shore before leaving and headed south.  The first whale seen was just outside Twofold Bay and this was a yearling with a distinctive spotted fluke. We saw a couple of peduncle throws and half hearted tail slapping. Another whale was just to the north and this adult affiliated with the yearling.  Throughout the morning quite a few pods were seen between South Head & Murwaree, all adults. We witnessed some nice fluke ups but most were travelling south and not playful. Common Dolphins were found later in the morning and delighted passengers with their playful behaviour. Very faint singing was heard via the hydrophone.  The last pod seen was a mother & calf who appeared to be heading into Twofold Bay. The seals were again at the breakwall, some hauled out & some taking a dip.

Saturday 15th October 2011
This morning both MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue and Sea Eagle were out whale watching. We sighted our first whales within 20 minutes of departure. A humpback mother, calf and escort were just off Long Point. The adults were feeding on large schools of krill. Interestingly we have never seen krill in so close to shore before. The NE breeze was quite gusty this morning so thankfully the whales were in close. Passengers on both boats had some good close encounters and several breach’s were also observed.  Another pod of mothers and calves were also seen during the morning.
The NE wind had picked up as True Blue headed back out for our afternoon cruise. We headed north as had a report of whales near Bournda. A mother, calf and escort were seen feeding, just as this morning on large balls of krill. We headed south with these whales before leaving them and returning home.

Saturday 15th October 2011
The whales today were a bit quiet, however as they are creatures of the wild we must accept them for whatever they do at a particular time - no pressing buttons to make them breach or tail slap!  We had not spotted any from shore this morning before CAT BALOU departed at 8am. Not far outside Twofold Bay we found a pod of two whales but they had long down times. With the NE wind starting to pick up we headed north and off Leonards Island the second pod was found but again they were not showing themselves. Lots of patches of Krill were observed - we have not seen Krill like this for a week or more. Further to the NE we saw a breaching whale and headed there and found a pod of three adult Humpbacks. We stayed with them for some time and at close range saw them fluke up a number of times but unfortunately they were not in a playful mood. As we headed towards home we picked up Common Dolphins and had 10 seals hauled out on the Eden breakwall plus another couple swimming around.

Friday 14th October 2011
This morning no whales had been spotted by our land spotters so we headed south to where we had reports of whales being sighted.  We picked up our first mother and calf near Leonards and travelled south with them observing some nice fluke up dives and having a few close encounters. Another mother and calf were also sighted.
MERIMBULA MARINA's afternoon cruise gave passengers the chance to follow a very active mother and calf. Passengers were enthralled by the seemingly endless breaching displays by both the mother and calf. As is so often the case, the more the passengers responded with shouts of delight and wonder, the more active the whales became. They really do seem to enjoy the interaction with people and demonstrating their power and majesty.

Friday 14th October 2011
After a week of calm seas the NE wind developed overnight and this morning making conditions rather choppy. CAT BALOU had a pretty good morning in the conditions sighting their first whale level with the heads and another two pods not far away. We watched an adult Type 2 Humpback and a sub adult for quite some time. The larger whale appeared to be resting on the surface which enabled our passengers to get good views of it and we also got a number of fluke shots. After we left them we headed north and spotted an active calf with its mother, however they playing stopped as we arrived. We followed them to mid bay with the calf giving one perfect breach. After heading into the sheltered waters of East Boyd for refreshments and viewing the southern side of Twofold Bay we picked up a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins off Whale Beach. We finished the morning off viewing the seals at the breakwall.

Thursday 13th October 2011
This morning we found whales early in the cruise. A mother and calf just off Long Point. They did some lovely spy hopping giving passenger a good opportunity to view them. We then went out wider where we found a solitary large adult humpback. A large pod of common dolphins and several Australian Fur Seals were seen throughout the morning.
Passengers aboard our MERIMBULA MARINA's afternoon cruise were accompanied by a large pod of common dolphins who stayed with the Sea Eagle for almost the whole trip! We sighted two pods of mothers and calves. Some great lunge feeding and tail flukes from one pod and a beautiful breach from one of the mothers.

Thursday 13th October 2011
As CAT BALOU headed out today we picked up a couple of Bottlenose Dolphins near The Lookout. It wasn't long before Gordon spotted whales. We found a juvenile HB in Twofold Bay who was just cruising around. As we had seen other blows to the east we headed out there and found two adults, but these had fairly long down times. We dropped the hydrophone overboard and got to hear some clear singing. Heading further east we picked up Common Dolphins and one of our passengers spotted more whales. This was a Comp Pod of 5 adults which were constantly on the surface with strong blows and quite noisy.  We had several close encounters with them in the 45 minutes we spent with them. There were also more dolphins in this area. As we returned to Eden we found a single yearling off Leonards Island and mother/calf pod right in Twofold Bay. During the morning we saw many fur seals and some Little Penguins plus the seals hauled out on the breakwall.

This afternoon we picked up a coach group unexpectedly. Two mother/calf pods were found near South Head. One calf was full of energy and gave a great display of breaching.

Wednesday 12th October 2011
This morning our land based spotters sighted whales before MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue departed so again we were with our first whales soon after departure. At Long Point we met a mother, calf and escort. We travelled south with them and despite the mother and escort trying to keep the calf away from us, he insisted upon continually coming over to the True Blue. We tried keeping our distance so as not to upset the mother and eventually all three came over. The highlight of the trip was when this very active and inquisitive calf breached right in front of the bow of the True Blue!! Passengers sitting on the bow said that felt like he was about to land in their laps!! Thankfully the Captain was paying attention and put the boat into reverse giving the calf room to land in the water!! Lots of breaching, tail slapping, rolls were seen this morning!  Twelve whales were sighted throughout the trip. Common Dolphins and Australian Fur Seals were also sighted.
This afternoon was another great trip with lots of whales! Mothers, calves and sub adults all being sighted, a total of twelve whales were seen during the trip. Lots of breaching and action this afternoon. Just as True Blue headed for home a mother and calf both breached at the same time!! Passengers at the back of the boat capturing the breach on camera!

Wednesday 12th October 2011
The Humpback Highway was very busy today with CAT BALOU making excellent sightings of whales on three trips.  The morning got off to an early start with three mother/calf pods in Twofold Bay. Two of these later affiliated. As we rounded South Head we spotted several more pods as well as Common Dolphins. All morning more whales appeared and there were too many to count! We put the hydrophone overboard and heard clear singing. On the second trip we headed north and saw four whales. We had been following a sub adult which joined another whale and these two mugged us for 40 minutes. The third trip found the two whales we had on the second trip and we had another mega mugging with spy hops and tail slapping. All in all a top day with very cold but calm conditions with the SW wind.. The seals at the breakwall were also seen on each trip.

Tuesday 11th October 2011
The weather has been very kind to us this week and is set to continue for a few days which is wonderful! This morning one of our land based spotters saw whales before we departed so passengers aboard True Blue were looking at their first whales within 20 minutes of departing! We travelled with this mother and calf from Long Point across the Bay to Haycock where we headed out wider to find another pod of sub adults and mothers and calves. Some nice examples of breaching and tail slapping were sighted throughout the morning from various whales.
MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue headed back out again this afternoon and again sighted a mother and calf in close at Long Point. This calf was an inquisitive little fellow and we had some special close encounters with them.

Tuesday 11th October 2011
It was hard to decide what was the best part of the morning cruise as we had everything!  CAT BALOU began the trip spotting the seals on the breakwall and it wasn't long before one of our passengers (who visit every year) spotted whales. This was a mother & calf who were surrounded by hundreds of Common Dolphins, seals and seabirds. The whales at times chased the dolphins and the mother started to lateral lunge feed, possibly on fish that the birds & dolphins were feeding on. We had many close encounters seeing right inside her mouth. After an hour or more and still surrounded by masses of dolphins we headed east and found several more pods of whales. One animal had distinctive marks on its fluke caused by Killer Whales. Evidently it had a close encounter earlier in its life with the wolves of the sea. The dolphins stayed with us as we headed north, picking up a mother/calf pod off The Pinnacles. During the trip we put the hydrophone overboard and picked up a whale singing quite clearly. The afternoon trip for a

coach group found two mother/calf pods right in Twofold Bay. The calves were active and we witnessed many breaches, one almost landing on our deck!!

Monday 10th October 2011
Another perfectly calm day on the water! Passengers aboard MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue sighted whales soon after departure. A humpback mother and calf were in the Merimbula Bay so we joined them travelling south. They came over to us a few times and we had some great close encounters with both mother and young calf. Other whales could be seen out wider so we left the mother and calf and headed out to take a look. As we approached we could see whales breaching. A pod of four subadults put on a good show with breaching, tail slapping and pectoral fin slapps all being observed.
The conditions were still beautiful and calm for the afternoon cruise and again we had whales in close. A large humpback mother and young calf provided passengers with some beautiful close encounters. On several occasions they came over to True Blue and took a good look at us whilst we were looking at them!! Several Australian Fur Seals were also sighted floating passed wrapped in seaweed!

Monday 10th October 2011
CAT BALOU didn't have to travel far today before finding their first whales. Three large adult Humpbacks were in Twofold Bay who turned out to be very friendly and we had a number of muggings with one animal who lay under the boat several times. WE also spotted blows from more whales near the heads. With a cold SW wind we decided to leave these whales and head south close to the coast out of the wind. We found a mother/calf/escort near Saltwater. A White Breasted Sea Eagle created interest as it flew overhead with a large fish in its talons. There was also plenty of other birdlife in this area - Albatross, Gannets & Shearwaters. We returned to Twofold Bay and spotted several pods of whales right in the bay. There was a pod of two adults, possibly the ones we had seen there earlier and three other mother/calf pods. Two of these affiliated and we saw a bit of playful behaviour from the calves. One of these whales had extremely bad breath!!

Sunday 9th October 2011
The ocean was perfectly calm this morning as MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue headed out for our morning cruise. One of the Captains friends was out fishing and put us onto a mother and calf sooner after departing.  We followed this mother and calf from Long Point down past the Pinnacles, these two were in no hurry and some lovely fluke up dives were observed. Thankfully we got back just in time as a thunderstorm hit Merimbula.
The thunderstorm cleared and the sun was shining as True Blue headed back out again for another cruise. 13 whales were sighted this afternoon!! Mothers, calves, sub adults and large adults. Lots of action this afternoon with breaching, tail slapping and pectoral fin slapping all observed. A few showers came through and we headed for home before the next storm hit. A large pod of Common Dolphins joined us for part of the journey.

Sunday 9th October 2011
Calm conditions today and CAT BALOU had three whales within Twofold Bay, shortly after sailing. One Type 2 sub adult was found towards South Head and a mother/calf pod in Calle Calle Bay. This mother had a distinctive fluke and gave extended fluke up dives.  We had a report of other whales to our SE so we decided to head to that area. Two sub adult Humpbacks were great whales with muggings and spy hops. We also encountered Common Dolphins and a spectacular sight of a bait ball- dolphins, seals, Muttonbirds & albatross was a photographers delight! Our second trip resighted the mother/calf pod from this morning with the mother still giving extended fluke up dives. Another whale just east gave a few spy hops and played with seaweed. We left these whales and headed SE and several pods were found. One whale breached and we saw some tail slapping.

Saturday 8th October 2011
This morning the weather was glorious, not a breath of wind and calm ocean conditions. A humpback mother and calf were spotted soon after departure just off Tura Headland. We stayed with these two for a while, some beautiful fluke up dives were observed. The crew on MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue sighted some other whales out wider so we headed out to take a closer look. Another mother and calf, tail slapping, breaching, even a double breach!! Mother and calf both leaping out of the air at the same time!! Other whales could be seen in the area.
The fantastic conditions continued as True Blue headed back out for our afternoon cruise. Again we found a mother and calf soon after departing, approx two miles off Long Point. The calf was extremely inquisitive and kept coming over to the True Blue, despite the efforts of his mother!! The crew lost track of how many times this little fellow breached, needless to say it was a lot and it was a hit with the passengers onboard. A large pod of Common Dolphins also joined in the fun and it was simply fantastic, watching baby breaching and dolphins playing all on a calm ocean in the Spring sunshine!!

Saturday 8th October 2011
CAT BALOU had two private charters today with students from the ANU on a field trip. Although not whale watching spotted several pods of whales off the coast at Eden. One pod were active with a breach & head lunges.

Friday 7th October 2011
There was a mist over the sea this morning as MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue headed out for our first trip. Thankfully this burned off, we had a boat load full of eager children from Wagga who were on a camp and very keen to see their first whales! They did not have to wait for long before we sighted a pod of three sub adult whales, lots of spy hops and rolling on their backs waving pectoral fins in the air were observed from this trio. Other whales could be seen in the distance so we headed over to take a closer look. A pod of two sub adult humpbacks gave the children a wonderful display of breaching before we headed for home.
Both True Blue and Sea Eagle were out whale watching this afternoon. Two large adult humpback put on an impressive display of tail slapping and some beautiful fluke up dives before coming over to take a closer look at passengers aboard True Blue. We had several close encounters with these two whales before turning for home. We encountered a pod of three sub  adults on the way back to Merimbula who again gave some great fluke up dives.

Friday 7th October 2011
CAT BALOU spotted ten Humpbacks today on two trips. The morning began with a count of the seals on the Eden breakwall and a couple of Common Dolphins picked us up as we headed across Twofold Bay. We also found a seal who had found a fish for breakfast and was tossing it around. At the heads of the bay we could see a breaching whale so we headed in that direction. This was a mother & calf who we spent time with before heading north where we picked up a mother, calf & escort. Many close encounters were experiences and the whales could be seen clearly under the surface as the water was so clear. The second trip spotted several pods not far outside Twofold Bay. We opted to follow a mother, calf & two escorts with all whales giving lots of flukes. We counted 12 seals hauled out plus a few swimming as we returned to port.

Thursday 6th October 2011
This morning was another beautiful morning on the ocean and MERIMBULA MARINA True Blue found a mother and calf early in the trip just off Haycock. A couple of close encounters throughout the morning and a beautiful breach from the calf. We left these whales at the Pinnacles and headed form home. Another mother and calf and a pod of Common Dolphins were sighted off Haycock on the way home.

True Blue was back out again for an afternoon trip and again we found whales early in the cruise. These two sub adult humpbacks were extremely inquisitive and we had a number of close encounters and were mugged for a good quarter of an hour. We left these two whales and headed off to see another whale who gave passengers some spectacular breaches, breaching over 10 times.

Thursday 6th October 2011
The sunshine eluded us again today making conditions more difficult spotting whales which tend to blend in with the colour of the water on these days. We were lucky to find a mother & calf within the first half hour just a mile off South Head. We watched this pair for some time with the calf floating on its back just under the surface. A large pod of Common Dolphins were also in the same area as the whales. With a report from fishing boats off Haycock we headed north and had two juvenile Humpbacks who turned out to be quite friendly, with many close encounters beside CAT BALOU. One animal surprised everyone as it breached without warning which is usually the case. We spotted a number of seals during the trip along with Shearwaters and finished the trip up watching our hauled out seals on the breakwall.

Friday 8th July 2011
Passengers aboard our afternoon MERIMBULA MARINA Dolphin Cruise had the bonus of seeing a large adult Southern Right Whale. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, perfect for being out on the water. With the True Blue in Sydney Whale Watching the Sea Eagle has been doing all trips out of Merimbula.  Upon returning to the jetty all passengers agreed it had been a fantastic trip.

The wind during the past week prevented us from getting out each day but the three Dolphin Cruises we ran all sighted Dolphins, Seals and a variety of Sea birds.