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Whales travel pass Tasmania, Victoria,
South Australia, heading either up past the coastline of Western
Australia, or the east coastline of New South Wales and
Queensland. In August 2007 newspapers in the Northern Territory reported
humpback whales migrating along the Territory coastline.
The first day of June officially kicks off the whale watching season, with
migrating whales actually being spotted from May through to October. The peak
period for whale watching off the New South Wales coast is considered to be
between June-July. Humpback whales start to leave Antarctica from late April,
are seen heading north through to August and can be spotted off both the west and
east coasts of Australia as they travel to breeding areas off Western Australia,
Queensland and the tropical waters further north.
Each year has seen an increase in whale numbers and sightings. Two of the
prime whale watching locations in New South Wales is that of Cape Solander,
where NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have established a whale watching
platform and Port Stephens, which has recently attracted more visitors than the
famed Hervey Bay in Queensland. In Western Australia, Point Quobba at Shark Bay
and Ningaloo Marine Park are the prime whale watching sites. See below for list
of vantage points.
The southerly migration starts in spring,
occurring from August through to December, when the whales head south back to
their feeding grounds, with the first whales often seen passing through Perth
waters early spring. The first whales are usually the newly pregnant females,
followed by the immature whales of both sexes, then the mature whales. Mothers
with new-born calves stay in the warmer waters longer and usually travel south more
slowly. This enables the calves to grow and develop a thicker layer of
blubber, that offers protection from the cold feeding waters of Antarctica.
From May to November, Southern Right whales seem to stay close to the
southern coast of Australia. Mothers with calves are often seen just beyond the
surf break and can be spotted from cliffs and headlands stretching from along
the Great Australian Bight, along Portland Bay, Port Fairy, Warrnambool and
along the Otway Coast. They can also be seen near Cape Leeuwin and the bays
along the Western Australia Coast and Storm Bay in Tasmania.
In Sydney whales have been seen passing less than six kilometres
from the coast, with 3 whales actually having entered
Sydney Harbour in 2002. The largest number of whales seem to
pass Sydney about mid June (22nd). The Southern Right Whales can often be seen in very shallow
waters, including estuaries and bays. They have also been known
to swim in the surf zone. On the return route south during September to November,
whales are usually further out, about 12 to 14 kilometres from
the coast of New South Wales.
Some of the best whale watching sites are those located at
previous whaling operations, such as Albany, Cape Byron, and
Eden, towns that were positioned where they could see the whales
during their migration. Sites known for whale watching include:
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