Winter is a whale of a time

Sydney’s whale watching season kicked off last month and June 14
marked National Whale Day.
David Costello, Harbour South Area Manager for National Parks
and Wildlife at Vaucluse, (pictured) spoke with Ashlee Betteridge
about whale spotting and where the best vantage points are in the
eastern suburbs.

When is the best time of the year
to see whales off Sydney’s coast?
Whales migrate north from the
end of May through to the end of
July each year after gorging on krill
during the Antarctic summer.
They head south again in spring and
pass Sydney from early September
through to the end of November.
In Sydney the winter migratory
path is closer to the coastline than
in spring, so winter is a good time to
look out for whales.
What kinds of whales could people
expect to see?
The major sightings by far are
Humpback Whales. Southern Right
Whales are also involved in the
migration and though less numerous,
will often come well into Sydney
Harbour.
Humpback whales can grow to the
equivalent size of 11 elephants –
watching one launch itself out of the
water and land with an enormous
splash is one of the most dramatic
and awe-inspiring displays in the
animal kingdom.
How many whales are sighted
each year?
Last year 1295 whales were recorded
by the volunteer whale monitoring
group at Cape Solander, on the
southern headland of Botany Bay.
Are numbers increasing or
decling?
Numbers are increasing and have
Winter is the best time for whale watching as Humpbacks and Southern
Rights hug the coastline on their annual migration. Photo by Craig Wilson
done so over the last decade as the Can you recommend some good
populations gather momentum since vantage spots?
whaling ceased in Australian waters You can see whales from any lofty
in 1963. Humpback and Southern vantage point along the coast.
Right Whales became protected in You can get a good view of the action
the late 1960s which has contributed from Cape Banks on the northern
to the recovery of populations. side of Botany Bay National Park and
However, populations are at only from spots like Ben Buckler, Bondi
a fraction of their pre-whaling or anywhere along the cliffs between
numbers. Diamond Bay and South Head.

VILLAGE VOICE EASTERN HARBOURSIDE June 9