ABOUT WHALES IN SYDNEY
The whale migration season along the coast of Sydney is between May and October. Observe these magnificent animals that have swam the oceans for 50 million years. Very few marine life creatures can engage the human spirit than whales. Their gentle grace and natural parental instincts are a thing of real beauty.
Whale Migration
Why do whales migrate? The main reason is for eating and breeding. Their main preference for food is Krill which are usually found in colder waters. Once whales have replenished their energy they will travel to warmer waters to mate and breed. The reason being is that their caves are born without blubber to keep them warm. Blubber is a layer that develops under their outer skin. Without this protection, they will freeze to death.
Migratory patterns
Not all whales have the same migratory patterns. The majority of whales will migrate especially the female when she is pregnant. Male and female humpback and gray whales appear to undertake migration seasonally.
Some FUN Facts
The Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth; it is larger than any of the dinosaurs. The biggest recorded blue whale was a female in the Antarctic Ocean that was 30.5 m long (more than 3.5 times the length of a double-decker bus and as long as a Boeing 737 plane) with an estimated weight of 144 tonnes (almost the same as 2,000 men). The tongue alone of a blue whale can weigh as much as an elephant and an entire football team could stand on it!
The heart of a blue whale is about the size of a VW Beetle car and weighs up to 450kg. The aorta, a major blood vessel for the heart, is big enough for a human child to crawl through.
Whales are marine mammals, and like all mammals, whales breathe air into lungs, are warm-blooded, feed their young milk and have some (although very little) hair. Their bodies resemble the streamlined form of a fish, while the forelimbs or flippers are paddle-shaped. The tail fins, or flukes, enable whales to propel themselves through the water. Most species of whale have a fin on their backs known as a dorsal fin.
Whales are mammals, and as such, they have hair—though very little of it!
Beneath the skin lies a layer of fat called blubber. It serves as an energy reservoir and also as insulation. Whales breathe through blowholes, located on the top of the head so the animal can remain submerged. Baleen whales have two blowholes, while toothed whales have one.
Different Whale Behaviour
TAIL THROW
When a humpback whale lifts its giant fluke or tail out of the water and throws it back into the ocean it’s called a Tail Throw. This is performed many times by female humpback whales that may be attempting to attract the attention of male hump- backs interested in mating.
SPY HOP
The humpback whale floating vertically in the water and lifting its whole rostrum or head out of the water is a Spy Hop. This allows the whale to see out of the water and view their surroundings. Watching a 45 ton 45-foot humpback whale poke its head out of the water is epic.
MUGGING
Mugging is when a humpback whale approaches our boat closer than 100 yards on its own. Our boat is non-threatening, which encourages these curious, gentle giants to swim right up to our boat and check you out!
PECTORAL SLAP
The female humpback whale will raise her giant pectoral fin or arm fin out of the water and repeatedly slap it back down on the surface of the water. This is also believed to draw in the adult male humpback whales in the area who may be interested in mating.
