Annual whale migration starts in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
THE eastern suburbs biggest annual visitors are back and making a splash in ever-increasing numbers along the “humpback highway”.
Wentworth Courier
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THE eastern suburbs biggest annual visitors are back and making a splash in ever-increasing numbers along the “humpback highway”.
Whale migration season officially started in mid May, but this week saw Bondi Beach residents looking out to sea to spot some early arrivals.
Two whales could be seen about 200 metres off Ben Buckler Point on Wednesday.
Jonas Liebschner from Whale Watching Sydney said it had been a slow start to the season, but was only going to get busier as the public heard that migration was well underway.
He said the company was seeing about 10-15 whales a day from the boat.
That number increases to about 30-40 whales at peak season, from the end of June to the beginning of July.
Humpback whales are the most common commuters especially at the start of the season, he said.
“Ninety-nine per cent of whales we see at the moment are humpback whales,” Mr Liebschner said.
“You probably won’t see southern right whales until August.”
Minke whales and orcas surface very rarely.
Whales have been a passion for Mr Liebschner for many years.
He recently released a book called Whales of Sydney, featuring 10 years worth of his photographs of these awe-inspiring creatures.
It includes pictures of the famous white whale Migaloo, which Liebschner was lucky enough to see twice in 2014 and 2017.
“I was a bit upset with Migaloo that he didn’t jump for me. I’ll have to see him again this year.”
Mr Liebschner said the odds of seeing Migaloo this year are one in 30,000. About 30,000 whales are expected to head north up the coast this year on their annual migration from Antarctica to breed in North Queensland.
But Mr Liebschner tries to give himself the best chance of catching a glimpse of the rare white whale.
He often heads to Bondi Golf Course at dawn and has a speed boat on call to make sure he doesn’t miss it.
German-born Mr Liebschner started on whale watching boats by chance when he was backpacking through New Zealand.
“It’s different every single time. I have been out in the boat thousands of times but it doesn’t mean I’ve seen it all,” he said.
PhD marine researcher Vanessa Pirotta from Macquarie University is also keeping a close eye on the annual whale migration.
She said the whale season has officially kicked-off, with bigger numbers than expected through Sydney.
“It’s a conservation success story,” Pirotta says.
“There has been an 11 per cent annual increase in these migratory whales, with 30000 in this population of humpback whales.”
Pirotta’s advice for seeing whales is simple.
“Whales come as close as 10 metres off the shore, so anywhere with a high vantage point is good for viewing,” Pirotta says.
GOOD VIEWING POINTS
● South Head at Watson’s Bay, is one of the best whale-spotting places.
● The Gap and the South Head Heritage trail up to Hornby lighthouse, provide rock-to-rock ocean viewing, which will give you the best chance at spotting a giant sea-critter.
● Bondi Beach golf course, Marks Park in Tamarama, or anywhere along the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee, are also good whale watching spots.
BEST TIMES
● Early morning, when a whale’s telltale blow is backlit by the morning sun.
● Late morning or early afternoon, to avoid the suns glare off the ocean.
WHEN
● May to August, whales head North from Antarctica to breed in North Queensland.
● September to November, whales are often closer to the coastline as they head back south with their calves.
●Whales of Sydney is out now. A percentage of the sales of from the book will go to the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA). You can buy the book from http://whalesofsydney.com/