We've joined the great whale migration along the Australian Eastern Coast six times since 2002, and in that time, we've seen a most incredible range of behaviours (leaping- breching, lob tailing, mothers nursing babies, gatherings of up to 30 whales, more leaping - for hours and hours even of one individual), and most signicantly, a huge increase in numbers. This verifies, anecdotally, the science showing the population increase over time, which was about 7000 when we first started our observations, and is at about 11,000 now. Because over 95% of all whales travel within about 7km of the coast in this location, whale watching is best from land. The elevation from headlands allows huge numbers to be seen (we reckon we saw about 500 whales in two weeks this trip), and the water clarity and closeness of the whales to shore allows great detail to be observed, scratches, colouring, behaviour etc. Don't pay to go whale watching from a boat with its intrusion on whale behaviour, just stand on a headland and stare out to sea. See the attached photo for a shot of some whale ballet. ot the closest whales we saw by any means, but a shot that embodies the energy, amazing phenomenon, scale, and familial/group behaviour so engaging about this incredible animal on its way to Antarctica. For us this opportunity shows how, if nature is given a chance, it will flourish - the population along this coast was down to about 500 individuals when whaling stopped here in the mid 1970s. We never thought we would see whales in our lifetime because their numbers were so decimated. To see the whale population increase is inspirational, hopeful and joyous. To see them leap and engage as family groups is a heartening and wonderous phenomenon...
Forest & Bird » Marine and Coastal
Whale ballet
(2 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Are the whales a mix of different species, or has the increase been in mainly one kind?
Posted 2 years ago #
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