Protective male Humpback escorts can be found throughout the migration but their most important role comes during the southbound migration alongside mums and calves. The females are very much capable of raising the little ones in the northern warm waters and then migrating back south on their own. The journey however is much better when you do have a helping hand a male Humpback Whale will often fill this role perfectly. Although they are not the father of the calf the bachelor males will be protective over mother and calf once they are welcomed into the pod. The females will be happy to have a bodyguard travelling with them to keep other curious bachelor males away and predators such as shark or Orca wary.
Fewer males are around as we move through October as many of the bachelors were some of the first to migrate south in September onwards. Today we had dozens of mum and calf pods resting and calmly travelling amongst the lovely weather conditions. It was only the one male escort we observed today travelling with a lovely mum and bub as the three moved together as one. The big male did his job perfectly as he launched into a few big breaches with much dominance as he displayed protection of his mum and calf. It is always good to see these protective boys still around and thanks to their guarding nature and protection many calves benefit from this extra adult whale looking out for them during the sometimes dangerous migration towards Antarctica. A lovely few days of weather are forecast for the weekend ahead and we are looking forward to spending some time with not only the mums and calves but also a few of these protective male Humpback escorts as well.
