The Bondi to Manly Walk by Tara Wells

Author:Tara Wells
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: NewSouth Publishing
Published: 2021-08-03T00:00:00+00:00

WHALE WATCHING

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to breed off Queensland’s coast, passing Sydney between May and November each year.

Humpbacks are spirit ancestors, or totems, of the saltwater people. There are many Dreaming stories and rock engravings featuring burri burri, and there’d be a huge gathering and feast if one was washed ashore. Plant and animal life cycles – such as wattle coming into bloom – are signs of the pending migration.

At up to 15 metres long and weighing 45 tonnes – more than seven times heavier than an elephant – seeing a humpback whale do a fin slap, fluke up dive (lifting its tail out of the water) or even breach is exhilarating.

The easiest way to spot a whale on a windless day is to look for its blow – a vertical blast of exhaled air, water vapour and yes, mucous, too. A big splash means you may have just missed a breach.

Humpbacks tend to be closer to the coast on their way north. Only mums and calves stick nearby on their return journey to avoid predators in the south-bound East Australian Current where the others travel.

The best places to see whales from land are from points jutting out into the ocean. Good elevation helps to see further, and a steep drop-away at the cliff’s base provides enough depth for whales to swim and breach. Gap Bluff (STOP 8) and Fairfax Lookout (STOP 58) are ideal.

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