Humpback and

Southern Right whale

— factsheet

Humpback whale photograph by Jodie Lowe © 2018 Southern right whales © Dr. Stephen Burnell, Eubalaena Pty Ltd

Humpbacks Southern Right

Female Humpbacks are a bit larger than the males Females breed every 3 years

The males are known to sing complex songs Calves born in winter, weaned at 12 months old

The shape and colour pattern of a Humpback’s dorsal fin and flukes White skin callosities on jaws and head arranged in unique patterns,
(tail) are as individual in each whale as are fingerprints in humans. They allows for the ID of individuals
also have knobs on the top of their head

All adults measure around 15m They return to calving areas each year

They can weigh between 25 and 40 tonnes Large, rotund whale grows to 17m

These mammals feed on very small animals known as krill (small shrimp- In the southern oceans, these mammals feed on tiny crustaceans called
like crustaceans) and various kinds of small fish copepods, though some feed on krill

Humpback whales will eat up to 1.5 tonnes of food a day They lack a dorsal fin

They are social hunters and have a wide range of hunting techniques. Did you know that although the Blue Whale is the largest animal on the
One of the most interesting is the “bubble net” technique planet, the testes of the Right Whale are ten times larger than those of
the Blue Whale!

What are the threats to these amazing and Australian Range:

majestic mammals?
Humpback whales are found in the waters off coastal Australia.
— ship collisions or strikes They spend summer in the Antarctic, feeding on krill, before
travelling north during winter to breed. The best time to see
— entanglement in fishing gear
these whales off our coasts is in June, July and August.
— habitat degradation
— contaminants and plastics in our oceans The Southern Right whales inhabit the southern and
sub-antarctic oceans except during the winter breeding season.
— climate and ecosystem change
During this season the whales migrate to warmer temperate
— disturbance from whale-watching activities waters around the southern parts of Australia. The best time to
— noise pollution see these whales off our coasts is also in June, July and August.

1 2017–2018 Annual Report

ORRCA 24/7 Rescue Hotline:
02 9415 3333
Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) is
the only volunteer marine rescue group licensed under NPWS. Lic# 000100230.