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Migrating humpbacks put on a magnificent winter show
Every winter, something spectacular happens along the Mornington Peninsula: we witness the near-shore migration of humpback whales as they trek east on their way to the warmer waters of Queensland.
The winter whale season is in full swing, and the Peninsula has some of the best landbased whale-watching locations in Victoria. The ocean beaches offer amazing views of Bass Strait from beautiful vantage points nestled in native bush. Cape Schanck is one of the most popular whale-watching sites with the highest open coastal point on the Peninsula. It is expected that the Victorian humpback whale northerly migration season will continue into early to mid-August before numbers start to taper off.
The humpback whale is the most commonly sighted whale in our region during winter. Humpbacks can be categorised by their contrasting grey and white colouration, long elongated pectoral fins, and distinctive head bumps called tubercles. They can reach up to 16m in length. Typically, humpbacks are seen casually passing the Peninsula's open coast, moving eastwards. Occasionally these whales may venture into Port Phillip.
In addition to humpbacks, endangered southern right whales may also be sighted along our coastline during winter. These whales visit our coast to calve and mate, primarily in Victoria’s west. Southern right whales are larger than humpbacks, measuring up to 18m. They are distinguished by their robust appearance, black colouration, lack of a dorsal fin, square-shaped pectoral fins, and white to yellow callosities on their heads. Keen observers can also see their distinctive V-shape ‘blow’ when they surface to breathe.
In recent years we have learnt a great deal more about whale movements along the Peninsula, and this is largely due to the efforts of keen whale watchers. These citizen scientists report their sightings of whales, with some even capturing humpback fluke images that we use for individual identification.
In 2020, the Two Bays Whale Project launched the Two Bays Tracker program, which sees citizen scientists complete timed surveys, recording both the presence and absence of whales in the region. This program has amassed more than 1000 hours of effort by dedicated volunteer observers. The critical data they collect contributes to the only long-term monitoring program for whales along the Peninsula.
If you'd like to contribute to the conservation and understanding of these magnificent animals, you can report sightings, adopt a whale and/or commit to whale distancing – which we refer to as Neighbourhood Watch for whales – at www.dolphinresearch.org.au
ELLA HUTCHINSON, Williamson Research Fellow at the Dolphin Research Institute
