| Our oldest son Matthew was so excited, he was in 1st grade and couldn’t wait to get to school on Monday to tell everyone about it, his teacher didn’t believe him but thought he had a great imagination and story telling abilities, this was pretty devastating for our six year old but whale sightings were actually quite rare back then.
These days sightings of whales are much more common. The Whaling Industry in Australia ceased at the end of 1978 and we have become a world leader in the protection and conservation of whales on a national and international level.
Whales, along with dolphins and porpoises are members of the Cetacean family, they are warm blooded, air breathing mammals that give birth to live young. 45 species of cetaceans can be found in our waters, some are permanent residents while some are occasional visitors. Humpback whales and southern right whales migrate during June and the beginning of July from their summer feeding grounds in the Antarctic to give birth in the warmer waters off the Australian coast returning southwards from around September to November with babies in tow. I live on the south coast of NSW and last spring we were blessed to see whales on almost a daily basis, binoculars were standard attire and everyone was abuzz with whale fever, accosting strangers to let them know there were “whales out there” and it was almost too much to bear if there was no-one around to tell.
Australians recognizes the importance of these creatures to our marine ecosystems but they mean much more than that, whales have always held a magical fascination for humans. Their sheer size and grace, their intelligence and social behavior and the mystery of their songs draw us to these remarkable animals.
Whales and dolphins are protected in Australian waters which has allowed their populations to recover, there are many research projects underway to gain a better understanding of whales and dolphins and all Australian research is conducted to ensure minimum disturbance to the animals. The methods used are among the most advanced in the world and prove that whales do not need to be killed for 'science', however whales are highly migratory and their protection requires international cooperation and they are still threatened by human activity in our waters. Equipment used by the fishing industry can cause entanglement resulting in injury and even drowning. The impact on Cetaceans of seismic survey methods practiced by the petroleum industry to locate oil and gas is not fully understood and we must ensure that we promote a sustainable whale watching industry with the main priority being minimum impact on the animals while allowing us to appreciate whales in their natural habitat.
A pleasant afternoon can be spent on our windy coastal headlands searching for whales, a great excuse to get the whole family out in the fresh air and away from the TV and computer and it really is a magical experience to see a whale in the wild especially if they put on a show for you. Take a picnic, make sure everyone has a warm jacket, a hat and sunscreen, a pair of binoculars for a closer look and a curiosity about these magnificent mammals that share our planet.
Report a sighting
The Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts appreciates assistance from the general public and marine industry personnel in reporting sightings of whales and dolphins around Australia. The sightings reports provide important information for the conservation and management of these animals.
You can report your sighting through the whale or dolphin sighting online form.
Where to see whales and dolphins in the wild
Australia is fortunate to have a number of great whale and dolphin watching sights. Many of these sights are land-based, as in some areas, whales (such as the Humpback and Southern Right) and dolphins come within meters of the coastline. Land-based whale and dolphin watching is an inexpensive way of seeing these magnificent animals in their natural environments.
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