Rare air as cheeky humpback thrills in once-a-year spectacle off Tasmanian south coast
Boat skipper Tim Cunningham thought he’d seen everything during 15 years with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, but he was wrong. Here’s how one cheeky whale changed that.
Tasmania
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Boat skipper Tim Cunningham thought he’d seen everything during 15 years with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys.
So the veteran seafarer and his lucky guests are still reeling after snapping a spectacular and rare 30-minute breaching show from a young humpback whale off Cape Hauy on Sunday.
Mr Cunningham said although it was not unusual to spot whales along Tasmania’s coast during the southern migration period, extended breaching displays were often only witnessed once a year.
“I guess it’s something that we always hope to come across, but what we saw on Sunday was relatively unusual,” Mr Cunningham said.
“We do find that when the ocean is a little bit rougher, the whales are a lot more active and tend to breach more.
“There is a bit of speculation about why they do it, but it’s thought it could be a communication method.
“We might see a breach like that three or four days in a migration, but the unique thing about Sunday was that it went on for half an hour.
“Usually they breach once or twice if you are lucky, so this was a really active whale.”
Mr Cunningham said his greatest thrill during Sunday’s spectacle had been the feedback from local, interstate, and overseas passengers.
As he idled the boat at a safe distance from the energetic mammal, the skipper was able to take in the reactions of people enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“That was one of the real highlights, because the reaction we had on the boat was one of the best I’ve ever had,” he said.
“We had a young guy and his partner who had never seen a whale before, and he was just hooting, yelling and screaming with so much excitement.
“It was so nice to hear that enthusiasm. Everyone on the boat was pumped.
“To be able to share with people, and be out there every day, is just a dream come true and everyone here at Pennicotts feels very grateful for it.”
Mr Cunningham said the migration season, in which the mammals seek the krill-rich waters of the Antarctic, would continue up until Christmas.
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Originally published as Rare air as cheeky humpback thrills in once-a-year spectacle off Tasmanian south coast
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