Whale Watching

The 2008 Whale Watching Season has begun!

Warrnambool is known as “Victoria’s Southern Right Whale Nursery”. New binoculars that have been installed on the Whale Viewing Platform allow for improved viewing of the whales as they cruise Lady Bay!

Book your accommodation now and bring the family CLICK HERE

2008 Sightings (Note : Green = Confirmed Sightings, Red = Unconfirmed)

• 6/07/08 : Warrnambool -  Mother and calf seem to be moving between platform and southeast .800m at various times each day. They swam past the viewing platform 3 times yesterday. Sunny weather in Warrnambool today.
• 5/7/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf were 150 metres from platform early this morning, have now moved s.e.800 metres. Great time for whale viewing with calm seas and low winds.
• 4/7/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf played around for a few hours s.e. of platform.
• 3/7/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf 1 nautical mile south east of platform.  Been sighted from early morning. 2/7/08 : Warrnambool - Rough weather again - no sightings reported
• 1/7/08 : Warrnambool - Rough weather through out day so no sightings recorded, forecast for moderation in weather Wednesday;
• 30/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf relaxed, sighted 800metres offshore south east of Logans Beach viewing platform.
•  29/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf sighted 1 nautical mile out to sea, swimming between Thunder Point and Logans Beach areas.
• 28/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf sighted drifting through Logans Beach slowly putting on good display
• 27/6/08 : Warrnambool - No sightings - rough weather
• 26/6/08 : Warrnambool - No sightings - lots of squalls and rough seas
• 25/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf sighted between 8.15 and 5 pm from whale viewing platform
• 24/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf frollicking 1/4 nautical mile from whale viewing platform since early morning.
• 23/6/08 : Warrnambool - No confirmed sightings
• 22/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf sighted between 1.30 and 4.30pm at Logans Beach, humpback whales in distance
• 21/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf 250 metres from whale viewing platform at Logans Beach since 8.30am today. 
• 20/608 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf frolicking at Logans Beach for aprox 2-3 hours
• 19/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf sighted from whale viewing platform at Logans Beach today at 10.am. Spent approx 2-3 hours within view of platform.
• 18/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and Calf sighted frolicking off Logans Beach late morning / midday. Was viewed east of the viewing platform.
• 17/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf in Lady Bay at approximately 1-2pm, last sighted moving back towards Logan's Beach
• 15/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf at Logans Beach early morning, then swimming around bay before resting back during the late afternoon in front of viewing platform.
• 14/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf at Logans Beach for a majority of the day.
• 09/6/08 : Warrnambool - Mother and calf sighted off Childers Cove moving west. This is the first Mother and calf for the season in Warrnambool.
• 08/6/08 : Warrnambool : Whale viewed heading south possibly to give birth. Generally they stay out to sea to give birth for approx 6 - 7 days, before returning to Logans Beach.
• 4/6/08 : Warrnambool - Whale remains in Lady Bay, off the Logans Beach Viewing Platform. Whale is diving and resting on bottom for period before surfacing. Expect that this is to rest after journey and maybe prepare for giving birth off shore.
• 30/5/08: Warrnambool - Confirmed at 9.20am at Logans Beach, and the whale had been at location for approximately 1 hour and is expected to remain in the area with the forecast of calm weather over the coming days. 
• 28/5/08 : Portland - late afternoon. Southern Right Whale sighted in between the two harbour berths.  Believed to be a female and pregnant. Spent approx 3 hours in harbour, and last sighted at 5.10pm at Nuns Beach.
• 13/5/08 : Warrnambool - Sighted by surfers at Logans Beach.
• 13/5/08 : Beachport / Robe (South Aust) - no further details available for this sighting.

• 11/5/08 : Warrnambool - Sighted by overhead plane at 'The Cutting'.

  Almost every year between June and September, female Southern Right whales return to the waters of Warrnambool’s Logan’s Beach to calve.
  The whales often swim within a hundred metres of the shore and can be viewed from the beach or sand dunes via a specially constructed whale viewing platform.
  
  Why do the whales come to Warrnambool?
  The magnificent Southern Right whales have been visiting Warrnambool for hundreds of years. Once, they were hunted almost to the point of extinction, but since whaling was outlawed in 1935, their numbers have been growing. In Summer, Southern Right whales live in the sub-Antarctic. In winter, they migrate to warmer waters around the southern areas of Australia. The females migrate to the “nursery” areas close to the shore to bear their calves, while the males, yearlings and young adults remain further out to sea. The females generally stay in the nursery for many weeks, allowing the calves to feed and gather strength for their journey back to the sub-Antarctic waters.
  
  What is a whale?
  Whales belong to a group of animals called cetaceans, which include dolphins and porpoises. The whale is the earth’s largest mammal. It breathes air and feeds its young on milk.
  
  The Southern Right Whale
  The Southern Right Whale can be recognised by its smooth, black back and lack of dorsal fin. On the head of each Southern Right Whale are a number of crusty outgrowths called callosities. The callosities pattern varies from whale to whale. Irregular white patches sometimes found on the whale’s belly distinguish these animals from other species.
  
  Why are they so named?
  The early whalers regarded the whale as the ‘right’ whale to hunt. They swam slowly and close to the shore, floated once harpooned, and yielded large quantities of oil and whalebone. The word “Southern” relates to southern waters.
  The birth of a whale
  Whales breed once every two or three years. Pregnancy lasts between nine and 10 months and the calf suckles from a milk gland beneath the mother’s body. The calf is about five to six metres long at birth, grows quickly, and may double its weight in the first week.
   
  Are whales protected?
  Whales are protected in Australian waters by Federal and State laws. Fines of up to $100,000 may be imposed for harassment.
  How big do these whales grow?
  The average length of the adult Southern Right Whale is 15 metres, the average weight is 50 tonnes, with maximum length of 18 metres and a weight of 96 tonnes.
  
  How do they communicate?
  Whales are social animals and display degrees of organisation, behaviour and intelligence. Whales use sound to communicate. Breaching (leaping out of the water) and tail lobbing (hitting the tail on the water) are also ways of communicating and playing.
  
  Practical viewing tips

• Call the Visitor Information Centre beforehand to check for the most recent sightings
• Sometimes whales may not be visible at Logan’s Beach, even though they are in the region - make time for multiple visits
• Please keep off the fragile vegetation and sand dunes, and use the facilities provided
• Binoculars or a telescope can enhance viewing
• Be prepared for windy or wet conditions
• Nearest toilets - 1 km away located at Hopkins River

Information for visiting Warrnambool Whale Nursery

Additional information regarding whales is available at the following websites:

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate the continuing threats to whales and dolphins and their habitat. Visit www.wdcs.org.au

The Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching 2005 outlines the standards that allow people to observe and interact with whales and dolphins in a way that ensures animals are not harmed. You can download these guidelines from www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/cetaceans/index.html

Migration Maps - Whales are migratory animals, travelling vast distances to feed and reproduce in the world’s oceans and bays. You can view their annual migration through this animated map http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=94531