Queensland Whales were spectacular this morning as a pod of juveniles displayed spectacular breaching, head lunging and curious approaches. Cruising along the Coomera River and enjoying the morning sunshine we moved out through the seaway and out into the sighting grounds as a commotion of white water ahead indicated there was some surface activity unfolding not far from the coast. Two young Humpback Whales were putting on an incredible display of breaching and head lunging as they slowly moved south. The youngsters were excitable as they called out to all those who were listening with other pods scattered around the horizon. Surface language is an important part of how our Humpback Whales will communicate and with other pods spread over big distances the sound of up to 45 thousand kilograms crashing down onto the oceans surface certainly makes an impact and the sound travels far for the whales. The breaching and head lunging continued in the lovely morning sunshine as we enjoyed every minute of watching these beautiful Humpbacks fly!
It is time for these younger whales to start making their way south first before the older members of the population. A smaller frame means the ability to store less fat reserves and with that in mind it is important for them to be the first wave of Humpback Whales returning back to the feeding grounds of Antarctica. Arriving first means they can begin feeding which helps with their growth and development in the next few years as they slowly establish into mature adults which can succeed in making longer migrations. It is an age group we love to work with as they are always full of energy, enthusiasm and curiosity which results in an interaction which can often be very exciting but also less predictable than working with adult whales. A perfect example was when the youngsters surfaced right alongside us today after a deep dive and then completed our interaction with one final, spectacular breach. Queensland Whales are always a joy to spend time with and today we were fortunate to observe such a beautiful display of their spectacular language.
