Pilot's 'rare' discovery off Aussie coast: 'First we've seen in years'
It's rare for orcas to be travelling through this part of Western Australia in April, one wildlife photographer has explained.
Aussie wildlife enthusiasts living in an ultra-remote part of the country are rejoicing after spotting a brand new orca calf — the first born in the area in three years.
Striking images snapped by scenic flight and photography group Ningaloo Aviation captured a series of incredible shots showing an orca pod with a brand new calf off the Exmouth coast in WA's northwest cape. Dazzling images show the baby with its family swimming and playing in the pristine water — a "rare sight in April".
Tiffany Klein from Ningaloo Aviation spoke to Yahoo News Australia about the "adorable" discovery.
"It's the first baby that's been spotted in three years, the last one didn't survive and the one before that was two years prior to that and sadly that one also didn't survive," Klein told Yahoo.
'Adorable' orca calf first to be born in the area in three years
"We really hope this one makes it, he's still little, so he's got a while to go yet, but we really hope he survives. They don't come around too frequently," she added, pointing to the fact that orcas typically give birth every three or so years, with a pregnancy span of about 17 months.
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Klein said the discovery was "super exciting" for the locals, who keep track of the different orca families in the area. "We do keep track of them up here, all of them have different families. Our local researcher has been studying them for about 20 years, and has a family tree of all the different pods.
"Every time one gets seen, they identify which pod it's from. We don't know who the mother is of this calf, but we know which family group it belongs to — the little one's super cute, really, really cute."
Cute photos but nature is brutal, wildlife photographer says
While the photographs are undoubtably adorable, they also serve as a reminder of how brutal nature can be.
Klein said it's so rare to see orcas at the spot in April because they normally travel to the area in July and August when humpback whales are in town, to feed on their young.
"They come up to feed on them, so that's quite pleasant," she joked, adding that nature can be savage.
"So yeah, because there's no humpbacks here at the moment. It's not common to see them right now, which is why it's so special."
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