Mother Humpback Whale dedication can be observed on the southbound migration as the females protect, nurture and guide their newborns south. During this time of the year the flow of the migration can be more sporadic than usual as the last of the mums and calves make their way past the Perth coastline. Every day is different and it is an important part of our research as we begin to monitor how many pods we are observing in comparison to previous seasons. Today we scanned carefully and our first interaction was with the wonderful local Bottlenose Dolphins enjoying a spot of foraging. Crested Terns had been busy feeding on our journey out and were benefiting from the help of the Bottlenose Dolphins herding these schools of baitfish closer to the surface. The roar of jets accelerated overheard as both the Navy and Airforce were out and training today which made us reflect on their dedication to protecting all Australians.
Mother Humpback Whale dedication is vital for the survival of their calves who are completely dependent on their mums for survival. Today we observed a mother whale and her gorgeous calf who looked to be new arrivals in the resting grounds. The calf was beautiful and displayed lovely white pectoral fins which Grace and her team from the Fat Whales Project were able to collect data on both mum and calf during their surface time. Relaxing into their environment both Humpback Whales seemed content and after swimming hundreds of kilometres to reach these resting grounds it is an important time for them to rest and relax. The calf will feed and sleep much of the time to regain some of the weight lost in the swim to this point of their journey. Mother whale will be constantly on guard and also ensuring she has plenty of rest time to conserve her dwindling fat reserves. It is a great privilege to have such an important resting ground just off our coastline and we wish both mother and calf a wonderful stay.
