Yesterday, we were extremely fortunate and spotted these two whales, swimming just off the main beach off Pumpkin. This marks the beginning of their northbound migration for this year and we are expecting plenty more sightings over the next few months.
They spent almost the whole day splashing around and we took a few pictures from a phone to share with you :)
Each year between April and November, Australia’s eastern coastline comes alive with the spectacular acrobatic displays of humpback whales. After a summer of feeding on krill in Antarctic waters, these charismatic animals migrate north to sub-tropical waters where they mate and give birth. During their annual migration of up to 10 000 kilometres, humpbacks attract thousands of visitors to coastal towns such as Eden, Byron Bay and Hervey Bay. The exact timing of the migration period can vary from year to year depending on water temperature, sea ice, predation risk, prey abundance and the location of their feeding ground. The majority of humpbacks in Australian waters migrate north from June to August, and back towards the Southern Ocean from September to November. Groups of young males typically lead the migration while pregnant cows and cow-calf pairs bring up the rear. Adult breeding animals form the bulk of the migration in the middle stages.
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