Hey guys. Havent posted in a while due to hardly getting out, working hard ya know ;)

Missus got me a voucher for a trip out to the Bremer Canyon Killer Whales last xmas so headed down over the Easter break. What day it was! Headed out to what is known as "The Hotspot" a small area about 5nm x 5nm out at the Bremer Canyon in about a 1000m of water. This is the same area mentioned for those who have seen Dave Riggs doco "The Search for the Ocean's Super Predator." Theres believed to be a hydrocarbon leak in the seafloor releasing an incredible amount of nutrients sparking a huge food chain event from seafloor to surface. Over the 2 seasons of operation im led to believe Naturaliste Charters have had a 100% hit rate on killer whale sightings, with some days up to 100 whales congregating in the area.

As we arrived at The Hotspot the first thing I noticed was the amount of small Striped tuna busting up all around. The skipper announced the whales shouldnt be far away and within a mintue of arriving we had our first sighting! 3 orcas only a couple hundred metres ahead, as we got a bit closer they turned for the boat and swam across the front of the bow, a great site for everyone on board!

We followed this small group for 15 minutes or so before they dived. I asked the skipper how long they can stay underwater for and he replied "20 minutes." Needless to say we stayed in the area for a bit longer but who knows how far they swam underwater. We then putted further into The Hotspot and soon came across another pod.

They also dived shortly after and we never saw them again. Throughout the day we came across about 12 whales, a quiet day by standards. Skip said a bit too calm on the surface, 20 knot winds and 4m swell and the whales really turn it on apparently, riding swells and breaching often, 8 tonne bulls clearing the water easily. Would be one hell of a ride out there on a day like that, 70kms from Bremer Bay!

As you can see from the next photos, we got just about all 4 seasons out there!

Yesterday went out on a mates boat and had a muck around in close. A couple clean bite offs early for me on plastic and jig while drifting for pinks, then the sambos came to play taking plastics and livies right at the boat on some occasions. On the way in had a muck around with the salmon with lots of fish landed on stickbaits and fly.