WHALE HUNTING IS BACK!
by Graeme Olsen
Ever looked into the eye of a Southern right
whale as it majestically glides along-side your boat,
trying to get a closer look at you? If not, then you're
missing out on a truly unique "south west"
experience that many of us down here take for granted.
Whale hunting is back! With a camera, that is...
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Hearing the excited voices
you move over to the other side of the boat
and peer into the aqua blue water. Someone
says they saw a whale. And then it appears.
A dark, moving shadow that's getting closer
and closer to the surface. How big is this
thing? It breaches the surface, and you hear
yourself gasp in chorus with all the other
passengers. Cameras click away. The Humpback
whale starts to go back under, but then comes
the tail, which reminds you again just how
big these things are. Shouldn't we be in a
bigger boat?
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June marks the beginning of the whale watching season
for the south west. For six months, there is an opportunity
to view these magnificent creatures up close as they
migrate both north and south until around December.
The south west is fortunate to be visited by growing
numbers of whales each year, including Humpback, Southern
right, and Pygmy Blue whales. Humpback whales can
grow to 19 metres. It's an experience you'll never
forget.
Around June each year, Humpback and Southern right
whales begin to appear in Flinders Bay, Augusta, having
travelled up from Antarctica to breed in the warmer
Australian waters. On arriving in Flinders Bay, the
whales are usually very curious and will often approach
boats to take a look, to the delight of those on board.
The whales continue to migrate north.
Then from around September, sightings become more
regular in Geographe Bay, when the whales are migrating
south again. Groups of whales, many with calves, stop
in the bay to feed before they continue back to Antarctica.
This exhilarating annual event is part of the vast
array of nature's attractions that are so common in
the south west. To get the most out of a whale watching
adventure, it's best to go through an approved tour
operator. Not only is it illegal to approach whales
in the wrong way, but the licensed tour operators
know the best times and places to go, so you get the
best views. There are a number of licensed operators
around. Get out there and enjoy the south west outdoors!
September 2001
