Port Eden was an unplanned stop on our voyage. Due to high winds, we skipped Hobart, and thankfully too! A passenger aboard a P&O ship that was docked beside us in Melbourne, fell overboard the next day on their way to Kangaroo Island. After an all-night search in the rough seas, her body was found the next morning. Such a tragedy. Eden became our sanctuary port and what a sweet port it was.
The whale museum depicts the whaling history of the region. For thousands of years, Aboriginal hunters cooperated with the local Orca whales in hunting the big Blue Whales and other migrating whale species. White men continued the tradition later on. The Orcas would herd whales into the nearby cove in a well planned attack. Then a secondary group of Orcas would batter the whales to tire them out. At the same time an Orca nicknamed Tom would head off to the place where the whalers slept and slapped his tail in the water to wake them up. The sailors got in their boats and together with another pod of Orcas would harpoon the whale chased by the Orcas. Man and Orca remarkably collaborated in the hunt. When the whale was finally killed, the whalers waited in their boats until the Orcas consumed the tongue and lips of the whale, their most favored delicacy. Only then did the whalers bring the remaining carcass to the beach for dismemberment. It was said the Orcas recognized each individual sailor and if a man fell overboard the Orcas would come to his rescue and protect him from sharks in the bay.
Being a great fishing and oyster farming area, no trip to Port Eden would be complete without tasting the local seafood offerings. Our tastebuds were greatly satisfied with a seafood platter washed down by a schooner of local beer.
