First whale of season spotted on Humpback Highway off Sydney heads
Humpback whales heading north from Antarctica to their breeding grounds in Queensland arrived off Sydney this week.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
They’re here! The first of an army 40,000 strong.
Humpback whales heading north from Antarctica to their breeding grounds in Queensland arrived off Sydney this week.
The first spotted by wildlife photographer Rachelle Mackintosh was a juvenile off the coast of Manly on Friday in his first solo migration trip on “humpback highway”.
“It seemed a little bored because it was by itself, so it came over to the boat and was very playful and interacting with us while he was waiting for more whale friends to turn up,” Ms Mackintosh said.
“He was jumping up and splashing around with his tail and he came over to the boat to have a really close look at us and say hello, which was wonderful.
“To have such an incredible, jaw dropping migration right in the heart of Sydney, it’s a really special thing, there’s nowhere else on Earth like it.”
Between now and November more than 40,000 whales will pass by the east coast of Australia.
It’s one of the world’s greatest wildlife conservation success stories.
In the early 1960s before whaling was banned there were estimated to be just 150 left.
Whale researcher Dr Vanessa Pirotta from Macquarie University said humpback whale numbers continue to increase post commercial whaling from the 1820s to 1960s, to a point where they are no longer considered endangered.
“In Australian waters we have a western and east coast population and they have been doing very well post whaling — it’s a wonderful conservation success story,” Dr Pirotta said.
“Our blue backyard is a truly magnificent place at this time of the year when we have whales transiting along the humpback highway — it points to what an amazing part of the world we’re privileged to see every day.”
Jonas Liebschner from Whale Watching Sydney is still in awe of the largest animal on Earth even after observing them from boats for over 15 years.
“I still see things that I’ve never seen before and I still get amazed being out there on the water watching whales,” Mr Liebschner said.
“If you can imagine a 15 metre long, 45 tonne humpback whale jumping out of the water right next to the boat — it doesn’t get much better than that and it can be quite a life changing experience for people if they’ve never done it before.”
Got a news tip? Email weekendtele@news.com.au
Drivers win as Minns bans ticketless parking fines
Councils will be forced to go back to leaving a note - or a sticker - when stinging motorists for illegal parking.
‘Megaphone of the left’: Backlash against ABC fake news
The ABC is under fire over ‘fake’ gunshots added to a story about serious war crime allegations by Australian soldiers, as a former chairman of the national broadcaster accuses it of being a ‘self-serving collective’.