Huge numbers heading north in Covid-safe whale migration

An astonishing 300 whales a day will travel up the Queensland coast over the next two months, completely oblivious to the Covid-related drama going on onshore and giving those lucky enough to be on or near the water a sight for sore eyes.

IT’S rush hour on the Humpback Highway.

While early arrivals have been spotted off the Queensland coast for weeks, the months of July and August represent peak season for the annual migration of humpback whales.

An astonishing 300 whales a day will pass the Gold Coast on their journey towards to Hervey Bay and beyond as part of an estimated 35,000 animals fleeing the chilly Antarctic. Passengers on a Sea World Cruises were on Monday treated to a breathtaking display off Surfers Paradise.

A humpback whale breaches off the Gold Coast. Picture: Sea World Cruises.

“So far this year, we’ve seen the juveniles (teenagers) coming through and in the last two weeks, we’ve also seen subadults and last year mother’s and their yearlings,” Sea World Cruises’ whale research program manager Lauren Horner said. “This tells us that the fully grown adults aren’t far behind, and the best is still to come.”

Originally published as Huge numbers heading north in Covid-safe whale migration