This week there has been a few sightings of the first humpback whales of the season near mainland Australia around Wilson’s Prom in Victoria and the southern NSW coast. They have all been adolescent whales. It appears this years migration to the breeding and birthing grounds has begun.
The first humpback whales to depart the Antarctic feeding grounds are adolescent males, with the females who are looking to mate this year and the pregnant females.
However, the pregnant females travel at a more leisurely pace to conserve energy and stay around the islands.
The adolescent males and females wanting to mate, early on in the season can be seen between the islands and the outer reef.
The pregnant females settle into the maternity ward areas around the islands, then give birth and stay in the nursery area for the first few weeks of the calf’s life.
They won’t be preforming many acrobatics, because they are conserving their energy to give birth, then produce 600l milk per day for the calf.
They have to rely on their fat reserves until they get back to their Antarctic feeding grounds months later.
Humpback whales only mate every 2-3 years. Their gestation period is 11-12 months and their calf will stay by their sides for 12 months. Some females will take a gap year staying in the Antarctic to gain condition after weaning their calf; instead of migrating.
The last to arrive are the males wanting to mate. They often stay in the Antarctic feeding grounds for a couple of extra weeks to build up their energy reserves for performing and pursuing the females wanting to mate.
The males will often be in a competitive pod showing off their speed and strength. They will breach out of the water showing their strength and land on their backs which makes them appear bigger than their competitors. The female leads the chase, where the weaker whales will drop off, ensuring she will mate with a male with the best genes.
The Whitsundays are a WHALE HERITAGE AREA due it being an important breeding and birthing ground for humpback whales.
To find out more about special whale events, whale sightings and information on whales in the Whitsundays, join the WHALES OF THE WHITSUNDAYS facebook page or go to www.whalesofthewhitsundays.com.au
Contributed with thanks to Kellie Leonard - Whales of the Whitsundays.
Photo Credit: Glen Bradford
Whale Migration Route
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