By Cindy Yin
Pods of inquisitive humpbacks have been spotted swimming in Manly Cove on Monday, even holding up the Freshwater ferry, as whale watching season in Sydney officially begins.
A pod of three to four whales surfaced near Manly Wharf just before 2pm on Monday, delaying the 1.50pm ferry service for about five minutes, said Transport for NSW. It follows several other sightings in the harbour at the weekend.
A pod of whales was spotted near Manly Wharf on Monday afternoon.Credit: Good for Manly
Marine scientist and whale expert Dr Vanessa Pirotta said the whales appeared to be “quite playful with each other”.
“They came in, they investigated the harbour, and soon worked out that it was a little bit off track from the humpback highway, and then they resumed travel, which is typically what we see when we have whales in the harbour,” she said after viewing the footage.
Pirotta said while it has been a relatively slow start to Sydney’s whale watching season, sightings in Sydney Harbour will become only more frequent.
“There’s definitely been whales spotted, but it seems to not be in as big numbers as one would imagine compared to previous years,” she said. “But people should get excited because we’re bound to see more whales in the coming weeks.”
For six months, between May and November, each year a procession of up to 40,000 humpback whales embark upon a 10,000 kilometre return journey from Antarctica to northern Australia.
They spend summer feeding on krill in Antarctica’s colder waters, leaving in autumn for warmer waters off NSW and Queensland to find mates, give birth and socialise. This northward migration, or “humpback highway”, marks one of the longest migrations of any mammal.
A humpback whale surfaces near Manly Wharf on Monday. Credit: NSW Maritime
Sydneysiders are more likely to catch a glimpse of humpback whales, which can reach 12 to 16 metres in length, at the peak of the season in June and July.
Pirotta said that “when whales go north, we typically see them closer to shore, whereas on their southward migration, they may stick a little further out due to the East Australian Current”.
“It could also be that we see whales close to shore and potentially popping into spots like Sydney Harbour because they’re inquisitive, they’re curious, or they’re just very social. We don’t exactly understand why.”
In NSW, regulations guiding whale interaction say that powerboats, sailing boats and paddlecraft must keep at least 100 metres from whales, and 300 metres away if there are calves. Those driving personal watercraft must keep a minimum distance of 300 metres from whales.
“When whales are in the harbour they become a bit of a navigational nightmare, so it’s good to see people [and] ferries keeping their lookout,” Pirotta said.
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