Early whale gets the krill

In late March some whales were spotted on our Wilsons Prom Day cruises. Both sightings were confirmed to be humpback whale yearlings; calves that have weaned and are around 10m of length. These were likely to have been born in 2022 or 2023 and are foraging independently.

Humpback whale calves are born in warmer waters and migrate south to Antarctica to nurse on their mother’s nutrient-rich and fatty milk for 6 months to a year. They basically double their size in a year! As seen in the photos, these youngsters have sleeker bodies than the adults. They can be very active and curious. One whale was breaching multiple times, while another had come very close to the boat to have a look!

Once independent they filter feed on krill, copepods and small bait fish. Being too young to breed (humpback tend to reach sexual maturity between 5-10 years), they are not bound to the annual northerly migration and can sometimes be sighted off Victoria’s coast outside the main migration season (June-Nov).

While it is not common to see humpback whales off our coastline in spring, sightings such as these are becoming more frequent. The Australian east coast population of humpback whales have made a remarkable recovery over the past 40 years and the increased population size means we are seeing these outlying individuals more often. Changes to their food distribution due to climate change would also have an impact on changes in their movements.

These early sigthings have created some excitement for this year’s whale season! Stay tuned for upcoming Early Bird Specials on our Whale Watching Cruises.