Whale season ... exciting ... unique and spectacular.
It is the most exciting time of year when past visitors in our area of operation return from Antartica where they were feeding on krill and small fish over the Summer months.
Witnessing these enormous intelligent wild characters, sometimes only inches away from the vessel is a once in a lifetime experience.
Witnessing these enormous intelligent wild characters, sometimes only inches away from the vessel is a once in a lifetime experience.
Each Humpback whale has a unique identifier like a humans fingerprints and for a whale, that individual marker is the tail, in particular the underside.
Each tail may have a combination of different colors, patterns and/or markings to help identify an individual.
Recording whale information can help management to gain a clear picture of whale movements in the Marine Park and which particular whales are returning to the same areas.
Each tail may have a combination of different colors, patterns and/or markings to help identify an individual.
Recording whale information can help management to gain a clear picture of whale movements in the Marine Park and which particular whales are returning to the same areas.
Marine Park users and visitors can upload whale sightings and whale tail pics to the Eye on the Reef platform via the free app.
For more info click here www.gbrmpa.gov.au/our-work/eye-on-the-reef
For more info click here www.gbrmpa.gov.au/our-work/eye-on-the-reef
Humpback heads have bumps on them called tubercles. These usually contain a very short hair or two which is considered to be part of a sensory system, these tubercles may be observed on baby whales only a few days old and are another one of the distinguishing features of this species.
Being one of the baleen whale species, Humpbacks filter food from the water using rows of bristles in their mouth, these act like a sieve, retaining the food source but allowing sea water to be expelled.
Adult whales can reach approx. 15 meters in length, weighing around 40 tonnes as adults.
Tails or flukes of Humpback whales vary with age but at adulthood can reach around 5 meters wide, not only is the tail a massive propeller it is also used to make sounds by slapping the tail on top of the water surface.
Adult whales can reach approx. 15 meters in length, weighing around 40 tonnes as adults.
Tails or flukes of Humpback whales vary with age but at adulthood can reach around 5 meters wide, not only is the tail a massive propeller it is also used to make sounds by slapping the tail on top of the water surface.
Below: Honey with best friend Coco and baby.
Can you see the baby and how well hidden and protected it is from an unknown passing vessel to them.
Can you see the baby and how well hidden and protected it is from an unknown passing vessel to them.
Mother whales use a range of tactics to hide juveniles including other more state of the art behaviours such as 'stealth mode'. Mother and newly born baby pictured below float at the surface mostly submerged while baby takes in some air prior to fully submerging.
Submerging slowly, almost completely underwater.
Submerged but still sinking.
At times both can be entirely submerged only a couple of feet below the surface, this makes observing them impossible but it also creates an issue for boat users not being aware they are there. Its a marine incident waiting to happen as boat users maintain full speeds through whale nursery areas entirely oblivious to the possibility of a boat strike.
Mother whales can and do hold their breath for extended periods of time during this particular behaviour and release air from a breath through nostrils on top of the head at a far slower rate than for eg. when travelling, which results in no obvious water ejected to give the position.
Our experience suggests that for some whales a distance of as much as 250m or more is their 'comfort zone', so we find it has worked better to allow whales to choose their own limits which may be well in excess of the 100m distance instead of trying to maintain the 100m which could lead to chasing. It is important to recognize that marine life have personal space distances which they find comfortable, confident and safe in and for us as marine park users to respect those distances which may vary considerably between individuals.
Distances for viewing whales and dolphins in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and further information.
Guidelines have been set out by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Click here for GBRMPA regulations link-
www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-us/legislation-regulations-and-policies/whale-and-dolphin-watching-regulations
Click here for GBRMPA regulations link-
www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-us/legislation-regulations-and-policies/whale-and-dolphin-watching-regulations
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It is estimated that at least 8 million metric tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year.
Plastics are generally highly durable which means they can stay in the environment for decades and even centuries. 1 plastic bottle has a life expectancy of about 250 years. Did you know that plastic is dangerous to marine life ? Most of us are well aware there is a crisis occurring globally with plastic spreading through the oceans affecting many species of marine life, bird life and even land species as well. Help protect our precious marine life and our environment. Plastic and other waste materials that may be discarded on land may end up out at sea and can cause serious illness, injury, or death to our precious marine life. As can discarded fishing gear, including fishing line, bait bags, fishing balloons, hooks, lures, bottles etc. Don't throw it overboard and bin it instead back at port. |