May-August
In May Humpback Whales begin passing by Sydney on their Northern Migration coming from antarctic waters in the south.
By early August these whales have moved onto their breeding grounds up north around the equator. On the northern Migration we see a lot of breaching whales and active males showing their dominance to impress females for mating
July and September
From July to September we have occacional sightings of Southern Right Whales. These whales are not seen as often as Humpbacks which we see on almost every cruise.
Southern Right Whales are similar in size, but dont follow a yearly migration like the Humpback Whales. In September we also have the first whales on their way south again. A very interesting time of year with whales going both ways!
August - December
Mid to late August to the beginning of December the whales are now all swimming south and we start seeing mothers with their newborn calves.
They tend to spend more time on surface and swim slower (so that the calf can keep up!) although occasionally we will see some long down times. This part of the season is best for Muggings were the whales will come up close to the boat and investigate us!
The research project to be carried out over the next three years by the Marine Mammal Research
group at Macquarie University, Whale Watching Sydney as part of an Australian Research Council
linkage grant, NSW Department of Environment and Conservation and IFAW is intended to discover
some important answers to the sustainability of whale watching not just for the Sydney region but
internationally.
Sustainability
We hope to show if the current state and federal rules for whale watching are adequate, inadequate or over-protective for migrating whales. This can be measured by comparing whale-boat interactions and comparing them to behaviour recorded from shore based observatories. This information will be critical to establishing the sustainability of the industry over the long term.
Whale Migration Path
The research will collect data to discover why and how the whales navigate on the yearly migration and what oceanographic features affect their path. Apart from the high purely scientific value, this information will have a direct application on predicting the whales path each day and thus should help reduce boat travel and search times, leading to a smaller ecological footprint and a better experience for whale watchers.
Humpback Whales - Seen on almost every cruise
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Humpback Whales
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water. Males produce a complex song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. The purpose of the song is not yet clear, although it appears to have a role in mating.
Read More on Wikipedia
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Southern Right Whales - Seen a couple of times a season
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Southern Right Whale
The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye. Its skin is very dark grey or black, occasionally with some white patches on the belly. Approximately 10,000 southern right whales are spread throughout the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere. Read More on Wikipedia
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Bottlenose Dolphins - Seen on 50% of our cruises
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Common Dolphins - Seen on 50% of our cruises
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Sea Birds - we see a great variety on our cruises
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Fur Seals - We see them from time to time
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Killer Whales - a rare sight! Seen twice in 2009
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Sharks - Also a rare sight. But occasional sightings happen
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Blue Whales - The largest animal on the planet
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Blue Whale
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales (called Mysticeti). At 30 metres in length and 180 metric tons or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed.
Long and slender, the blue whale's body can be various shades of bluish-grey dorsally and somewhat lighter underneath. Blue whales were abundant in nearly all the oceans on Earth until the beginning of the twentieth century when they were heavily hunted. Scientists estimate that blue whales can live for at least 80 years Read More on Wikipedia
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False Killer Whales - We get a couple of sightings each season
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end faq
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