travelandleisureindia.in
the tail fin (fluke) of a whale. In the Iñupiaq
language, this mark is called qala and was
traditionally used by hunters to track a whale.
We follow the old wisdom of the Iñupiaq and
follow the qala. But this creature does not share
the idyllic pace and friendly indifference of the
humpback. It races ahead of us, surfacing barely,
if at all. Even the experienced crew have a hard
time figuring out what they’re seeing (or
missing) under the surface.
In the distance, someone spots a suspiciously
large flock of birds congregating with purpose.
In the water, surely, is a bait ball—small fish
that swarm together in mind-boggling numbers
to overwhelm predators. But their defence is
about to be broken—and how! The creature
heads directly to the bait ball. As it goes on a
feeding frenzy, turning 180o in the water to keep
pace with the fleeing fish, the skipper has his
suspicions confirmed. It’s a Bryde’s whale!
Bryde’s (pronounced broo-duhz) whales are
rorquals; their bodies are long, slender, and
streamlined to attain high speeds. No wonder it
gave us such a sprint! Like other baleen whales,
they have rows of baleen plates (made of
keratin, the same protein that makes our
fingernails and hair) instead of teeth to filter
small prey from the water. And they’re a rare
sight in this part of the world.
The news about the meal on offer seems to
have spread in the Australian waters. The
foraging albatrosses and the hungry Bryde’s
whale are joined by a megapod of around 100
Indo-Pacific dolphins, who swamp the area like
an invading army. They were no doubt led here
by their superlative echolocation clicks—the
bio-sonar zeroing in on the feast with pinpoint
accuracy. While the whale retains the right of
way, the dolphins catch the fish that scurry out
of the way of the bigger predator. The fish
flushed out towards the surface become the sea
birds’ brunch. This is nature at its wildest.
After a few moments spent in awe, we quietly
and cautiously drift away from the scene. It is
high time man lets nature be.to the brink of extinction before the
International Whaling Commission (IWC)
members agreed to a hunting moratorium in
- Over 30 years later, Japan has begun
commercial whaling again, allowing 277 whales
to be killed in this season alone. Two hundred
and seventy-seven songs silenced forever.
While I never expected to see a whale
breaching, even the slightest of hopes is
quashed by the weather—the stormy sea has
exhausted the whales over the last two days.
They’re in no mood of playing around, the
skipper laments and decides to embark on “an
adventure into the sea.” As I wonder why we’re
leaving behind sure sightings, a movement
beneath the water catches my eyes. There’s no
blowhole spray but something is right in front
of the boat, and it’s leaving behind a trail of
flukeprints—patches of glassy, calm water on
an otherwise rippling ocean typically made by
FROM TOP: SUMEET KESWANI; COURTESY OF WHALE WATCHING SYDNEYTHE DETAILS
STAY
The Langham Sydney
offers 96 delightful rooms
in the heart of The Rocks
district, with Circular
Quay and Darling Harbour
at walking distance.
langhamhotels.com
TOUR
The whale-watching
season in NSW, Australia,
spans May to November.
The Discovery Cruise of
Whale Watching Sydney
is their longest at three
hours and costs `4,123
for an adult and `2,668 for
a child (4-15 years).
It runs twice a day, seven
days a week (subject
to weather conditions).
whalewatchingsydney.
com.au/cruisesCRUISE
A Bryde's whale, a megapod
of Indo-Pacific bottlenose
dolphins, and sea birds
feast on a bait ball in the
waters off the Sydney coast.
Bottom: The boat used in
the Discovery Cruise
features three viewing
decks and indoor and
outdoor seating located
fore and aft.