A Southern Right Whale pulled up in the calm waters of Merimbula to rest with its calf on Monday, July 16.
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Spectators stood on the Merimbula headland to catch a glimpse of the whales who were reportedly the same two spotted in Tathra on Sunday.
Simon Millar of Merimbula Marina said it is completely normal to see Southern right whales with their calves around this time of year, although it is still a rare sight considering the population numbers are very low.
“The majority of the population is out on the Great Australian Bight – about 99 per cent, so not all of them,” he said.
Mr Millar said the Southern right whale’s name originated from fisherman who harpooned the giant, discovering it was the only of its kind to float to the surface, naming it the ‘right whale’.
Humpback whales are the next whale species to spot as they migrate south at the end of August through to November.
Long Point and Tura Headland are the top spots to catch a glimpse of the action this whale watching season.
Southern right whale facts
- Length Adults: 14m to 18m; Calves: 5m to 6m at birth
- Weight Adults: up to 80 tonnes; Calves: 1 to 1.5 tonnes at birth
- Gestation: 11 to 12 months
- Weaning age: 11 to 12 months
- Calving interval: generally 3 years
- Mating season: July to August
- Calving season: June to August
- Cruising speed: 3km/h
- Blow pattern: V-shaped bushy blow, up to 5m
- Protected since 1935
Source: Wild About Whales