Yep, it’s whale watching season. So if you haven’t managed to spot any of these superb gargantuan mammals flopping about, get out and have a look. They’ll still be cruising up and down the east and west coast of Australia until early November.
A couple of weeks ago, I was on a famil with photographer Dee Kramer, heading out to the Great Barrier Reef, when two humpbacks appeared not 50 metres from our boat. They were totally aware of our presence and were parading their barnacles, launching clear out of the water before resurfacing to flop their whopping tails in playful motion.
If you’ve ever been at the right spot during whale watching season, you’ll know it’s an exhilarating sight that should not be missed. It’s incredible that these ancient monsters of the sea, around 50 million years old, are just cruising about under the water. Our ginormous mammalian brothers and sisters.
Only a few days ago, I experienced an even more spectacular sighting. My friend and I headed out to my favourite local spot at Broken Head. There, we sat on the top of the hill, and not only did we spy a sea eagle taking us in with pin point curiosity, dolphins were frolicking about the rocks below, and then the humpbacks started.
Two in the bay, two further out, and two more breaching clear out of the water to the south, all about 100 metres offshore. It was surreal, these huge pelagic creatures enjoying a belly busting day out, throwing all that weight clear out of the water.
Somewhere out in the Pacific, off the east coast of Australia, there’s also an all-white humpback (the only known one in the world) named Migaloo (Aboriginal for white fella). It’s been commonly sighted around the Great Barrier Reef since 1991. Who knows, maybe you’ll spot it.
It’s whale watching season people, get out and have a look!
