Look: tagged killer whale in False Bay heads up the coast

A killer whale fitted with a tag in False Bay last week is still sending signals, and its track has already carried it from Simon’s Town to the Northern Cape coast. Sea Search shared the update along with a set of images that follow the journey, Cape {town} Etc reports.

Picture: Cat Nadin, Sea Search / Supplied

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A first for South Africa

The research team fitted the tag on Friday 30 October, which they describe as a first for South Africa. Tags can last a few days or a few months, so every ping counts. Aerials can break, and tags can fall off early.

Picture: Simon Elwen / Sea Search

Two whales with a growing reputation

The pair first appeared on the researchers’ radar in the Eastern Cape in early October, when they were seen killing a southern right whale calf. Sea Search says such records are very unusual in South Africa. Drone footage from Plettenberg Bay showed the pair harassing another right whale, and they did it again off Stilbaai. Early on Thursday they passed Hermanus harbour.

Picture: Christy Strever

Friday in False Bay

Sightings groups kept the team informed, so they worked out the tides and weather and headed out on Friday morning. Simon’s Town Boat Company caught up with the whales near Seal Island and the Sea Search team met them just off Simon’s Town. They biopsied both animals and fitted the tag to the female. All the work was done under the relevant government and university permits and ethical clearances.

Picture: Dave Hurwitz / Simon’s Town Boat Company

Where did Bonnie and Clyde go?

Sea Search nicknamed the pair Bonnie and Clyde, and the tag has been busy. The whales stayed off Llandudno and Table Bay on Sunday and Monday, confirmed by two sighting reports. On Tuesday they headed north past Saldanha and Paternoster, where the rocks are crowded with seals. At one point, the track shows about 100km covered in a day. A week later they were still heading north past Lamberts Bay and Kleinsee.

Picture: Sea Search / Wildlife Computers / Shark Research Foundation

The researchers say the whales were regularly cruising at about 10kph when the team was with them, and they keep going day and night.

Picture: Cat Nadin, Sea Search / Supplied

They also flagged the route itself: ‘This highly coastal habitat use is very unusual for killer whales in South Africa.’ The only other animals known to do it are** Port and Starboard.**

Picture: Sea Search / Wildlife Computers / Shark Research Foundation

Tagging is one small part of the project

The team logs every sighting to study habitat use and identifies each animal from photographs. Skin samples help them look at genetics, diet and pollutant loads, and they are also studying how killer whales interact with people and boats, including the pelagic long-line fishery.

Picture: Sea Search / Wildlife Computers / Shark Research Foundation

The tags came from a collaboration with Neil Hammerschlag of the Shark Research Foundation and Enrico Gennari of Oceans Research. Sea Search says the work depends on whale spotters along the coast and thanked SRC Whale Watching, Whale Expedition SA, Dive Team, Cape Town, Shark Spotters, Alison Towner and Alison Kock.

Images from the Plettenberg Bay encounter were supplied by Christy Strever, and Mel is collating the rest. The team is still collating all the facts and media and promises more updates soon.

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Also read:

Look: Southern right whale bares its baleen as Dyer Island’s full cast shows up

**Picture: **Cat Nadin, Sea Search / Supplied

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