The Orcas of Bremer Canyon offer one of the most thrilling and unique wildlife encounters imaginable. Seeing these intelligent, highly social animals in the wild is unforgettable, and Bremer Bay has become one of my favourite destinations. Photographer Jayne Jenkins shares her experience.
About five hours southeast of Perth, the tiny town of Bremer Bay (population around 400) is known for its white-sand beaches, turquoise water, rugged coastline, and abundant wildlife. It’s also a hub for scuba diving with leafy and weedy sea dragons — and, of course, for visiting the famous Orcas of Bremer Canyon. After eight years of saying “I must go,” I finally made it, very eager to get out on the water and experience the canyon for myself.
Bremer Canyon is a deep-sea biodiversity hotspot located 70 km offshore at the edge of the continental shelf. It’s part of a vast system of interconnected canyons within the 4,472 km² Bremer Marine Park, plunging from shallow waters to depths of around 5,000 m. Geological activity creates nutrient-rich upwellings that support an extraordinary concentration of marine life, making it one of the richest ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere.
From January to April, large pods of Orcas gather here to hunt squid, tuna, and beaked whales. They share the canyon with pilot whales, bronze whaler and hammerhead sharks, false killer whales, common and bottlenose dolphins, sperm and fin whales, long-nosed fur seals, Australian sea lions, and countless seabirds including albatross, petrels, and shearwaters. Blue whales are occasionally sighted, though I wasn’t lucky enough to see one.
Our vessel, the 23-metre catamaran Alison Maree, was comfortable and stable even in the 5-metre swells we encountered on our first day. The friendly, knowledgeable crew made the journey enjoyable with hot drinks, snacks, and meals. Seasickness was quickly forgotten the moment the Orcas appeared.
After a briefing, we headed toward the canyon, spotting seabirds and marine life along the way. The boat’s first destination is usually “The Hot Spot,” a favourite area for Orcas to hunt and socialise. As we arrived, an albatross circled overhead — a promising sign. Moments later came the call from the lookout: “Orca!”
Seeing the towering dorsal fin of a large bull Orca approaching the boat was breathtaking. He was soon joined by his family, five Orcas in total, cruising calmly past us. Another pod was nearby, and before long the groups merged into a superpod of around 15 individuals, including a small calf named Chopper. We watched them make close passes, then settle into a tight formation, synchronising their breathing. Their six-minute surface and dive intervals suggested they might have been resting. Orcas are unihemispheric sleepers, shutting down half their brain at a time for short periods — a behaviour the onboard marine biologists explained as we observed them.
Each day brought new families, behaviours, and surprises. One highlight was seeing a newborn Orca calf — just a week old — whose birth had been reported in the news days earlier. Marine mammal specialist and onboard photographer Machi Yoshida confirmed the calf was female and had been named Wren. Another memorable moment was a huge pod of pilot whales, more than a hundred strong, passing close to the boat with a newborn calf still showing its foetal folds.
On my final day, the ocean erupted with activity. Birds circled, the water turned oily, and the Orcas’ behaviour became electric — signs of a predation event. Although I wasn’t sure I wanted to witness a hunt, the raw power and coordination was astonishing. The water churned red as the Orcas shared their kill, a dramatic reminder of their role as apex predators.
But the most extraordinary moment came on my second trip. After sightings of several families, the energy suddenly shifted. Orcas surged around us at incredible speed, heading toward shallower water along the continental shelf. This kind of pursuit could only mean one thing: a large baleen whale. Ahead of us, a massive body burst from the water with four Orcas in pursuit. Its asymmetrical colouring identified it as a fin whale — the second largest and one of the fastest whales on Earth.
After a prolonged chase, the Orcas forced the whale’s head above the surface and consumed its tongue, a preferred delicacy. It was a sobering yet remarkable sight. Fin whales are globally endangered, and this was the first documented successful predation of a fin whale in the region — likely the first recorded in Australasian waters. Witnessing such a rare event underscored the ecological importance of Orcas and their influence on the recovery of endangered species.
The experience was surreal, humbling, and something I will never forget.
Jayne experienced this incredible encounter with Naturaliste Charters, an award-winning tour operator in Western Australia that offers orca tours from December to April, and relocates for humpback whale encounters to Augusta and Dunsborough.
- December to April: Killer Whale Expeditions
- May to August: Augusta Humpback Whale Watching
- August to November: Dunsborough Humpback Whale Watching
