Whale Watching

Whale watching: The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a baleen whale. It is one of the larger species, and adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb).

The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. This huge animal is often quite acrobatic, breaching and slapping the water from high in the air. The males produce a complex whale song that lasts 10 or 20 minutes and is repeated for hours, like a loop. No one understands the whale songs, but the song’s purpose appears to have a role in mating.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters like Port Macquarie to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. The species’ diet consists mainly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have diverse feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.

Whales at Port Macquarie

You can also see the Bryde and Minke (pronounced – Minky) Whales at Port Macquarie. The Bryde has twin blowholes with a low splashguard to the front. Like other rorquals, it has no teeth but has two rows of baleen plates. They tend to blow once, then dive and stay under for a long time… could be better in terms of whale watching.

The Minke whales are the second smallest baleen – only the pygmy right whale is smaller. At sexual maturity (around 6–8 years of age), males measure an average of 6.9 meters (23 ft) and females 7.4 meters (24 ft) in length. Our fighter-pilot captain said a Minke whale and calf had been in the area for some days.

What did we see? Nada.. nothing… zero whales. We arrived at the end of May. June is a better month for sightings. We lucked out at the wrong time of the year. Nevertheless, I was disappointed as part of the whole visit to the area was to see some whales.

The moral of the story? Go whale watching towards the end of June; that way, you will see some. For me, it will be another time.

Other things to do in Port Macquarie like the scenic eco-tour.