Humpback whales are now migrating through the waters of Port Stephens.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Whales are sailing through the “humpback highway” in small clusters, but tourism operators believe the number of whales in the area will soon pick up.
The whales have been seen breaching the water and putting on a show, as well as “mugging” boats – getting up close to vessels to check them out.
Have you got whale photos to share? Send them to news@pse.fairfax.com.au and we’ll add them to the gallery.
Reported on May 12, 2017
Humpback sighting off Port Stephens first of 2017
Hopes were high that whale cruise operators might get this season’s first glimpse of a humpback on Friday.
And they weren’t disappointed.
Moonshadow crew member Evie Homewood and skipper Terry Aldrich spotted the young humpback two miles off shore between Boondelbah and Little Island.
A handful of passengers on the reconnaissance voyage also shared in the joy.
Moonshadow director Dan Aldrich said there had been whispers of sightings off the NSW South Coast in recent days.
“We start our recon about 10 days out to monitor them,” he said.
“Only two days in we’ve made our first sighting.”
Video: Hover UAV
Mr Aldrich said he had heard a few whispers of sighting off the south coast which made him pretty hopeful the crew might see one today.
“It’s still a little quiet but it will get busy soon enough,” he said.
“We take a few passengers on reconnaissance and they were very happy with what they saw today.”
Whale watching season commences on Saturday May 20, through till November 5.
“The young one sighted today didn’t breach at all – it just logged it – though I’m sure we’ll see one soon,” Mr Aldrich said.
Moonshadow – TQC, the largest Cruise operator in Port Stephens, has for many years treated passengers to live entertainment by Humpback whales with breathtaking acrobatic tricks, with last year being one of the best season on record due to a combination of favourable weather and consistent sightings of in many cases, multiple pods of whales.
“We were also lucky last year with the sighting of Migaloo the white whale and we are hoping that Migaloo might grace us with his presence again this year,” Mr Aldrich said.
“With the Whale Highway just at our doorstep it is truly a memorable experience that you won’t forget.”
Approximately 25,000 of the world's humpback whale population pass the Port Stephens coast line on their 12,000 km migration every year.
The humpback whale undertakes a northern migration from May to August, travelling from its feeding grounds in Antarctica to the warmer tropical waters of the Pacific.
They then make the return journey south from August to November.
This is the longest documented migration of any mammal on earth and the reason for the journey is to breed.
Despite its enormous size at birth, a newborn whale (calf) is born without a protective blubber layer so if it were born in the near-freezing temperatures of the Antarctic waters, its chances of survival would be slim.
So the whales head north to the warmer climate to give birth to their young.