The Whale Watch season is based around the Humpback Whale’s annual migration up and down the east coast of Australia. Here in Hervey Bay the whales stop over in the sheltered waters of Platypus Bay to rest, socialise and play which makes for amazing encounters.
Whale Facts:
- Humpback Whales are15 meters and weigh 40 tone
- They are a baleen whale, which means they have no teeth but Baleen plates (baleen is like a big hairy broom hanging from the roof of their mouth)
- Diet consists mainly of krill, a small shrimplike creature
- They feed during summer in the cold Antarctic waters
- They are a mammal which means they feed their young milk
- They have the longest pectoral fins of all the species of whales (about one third of the length of their body)
- Calves are born in the warm tropical waters over winter
- Males are very competitive with each other in breeding season
- Gestation 11 months
- They can hold their breath for a maximum of 40 minutes
- Adult male humpbacks sing
- Southern hemisphere humpbacks are generally black on top and white underneath
- They have the throat the size of an orange
- The East coast Population travels about 10 000-12 000kms every year
- Natural predators are the killer whale (orca) and large sharks; main predator is unfortunately those countries that are still involved in whaling
