Today we met Humpback yearlings enjoying their time in Flinders Bay! These young whales have only just left their mothers for the first time and average age is 12-16 months old, still only babies. They have learnt everything they need to survive from their mum and spend most of their days practicing behaviours and socialising with other whales. Today a young female whale was practicing tail sailing behaviour which is very rare to witness and is often used by older females to feed calves or keep cool. After showing off her tail sailing skills she then decided to introduce herself to us and spent over an hour swimming around us and looking at everyone onboard who had all fallen in love with this very special little whale.
Also sighted on many yearlings today was the scratches and scars of a busy life that has been lived with very close contact to mum whose sharp barnacles often scratch the skin of their calves… nothing that won’t heal with a bit of time! It is always a pleasure to meet the next generation of Humpbacks and amazing to think that just over a year ago these were newborn neonate babies who have survived thousandths of kilometres in travel, predators, boisterous male Humpbacks and busy shipping lanes to find themselves here in Augusta for their first winter season
