Whale watching season Augusta is seeing the last of the northbound Humpback Whales as today we enjoyed the excitement of a competition pod and the joy of meeting a brand new calf. It was a lovely winters morning as we made our way out into Flinders Bay and firstly met a mother Humpback Whale and her newborn calf. The little one has been born a long way south but still has a good chance of survival especially if they continue to move north towards warmer waters. It has been interesting to observe a large number of Humpback Whale calves having been born further south during our season so far on the Gold Coast with Whale Watch Queensland. Our team has also been observing sightings of newborn calves in Augusta and it remains the same average numbers as the previous season with between 9-12 calves having been sighted so far.
The little one looked strong and healthy as they found a quiet spot in the bay to hide away from the competition pod brewing. The boys were boisterous as they charged after the female and though it is later in the season for competition pods to be sighted this far south it is a great example of what the northern migration is all about. The boys are giving their all to meet as many females as possible and no matter the time of the migration if there is a girl around they tend to find them! It was wonderful to see the energy and excitement amongst the pod as they twisted and turned, the female constantly challenging the males to keep up with her every move. The local Bottlenose Dolphins also came over to say hello today and it was lovely to see them all looking happy and relaxed. A beautiful day to enjoy whale watching in Augusta as we start to see the final days for the northbound migration with the force of the southbound migration set to take over the coastline very soon, an exciting time to be a whale watcher!
