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Annual migration of up to 10,000 kilometres
Each year between April and November, Australia’s eastern coastline is a scene of spectacular acrobatic displays of humpback whales. After a Summer of feeding on krill in Southern Antarctic waters, these charismatic animals migrate north to sub-tropical waters where they mate and give birth. The majority of humpbacks in Australian waters migrate north from April to August and back towards the Southern Ocean from September to November during their annual migration of up to 10 000 kilometres. The exact timing of the migration period can vary from
year to year depending on water temperature, sea ice, predation risk, prey abundance and the location of their feeding ground.
At a maximum length of 16 metres, the humpback is not the largest whale found in Australian waters. This species was once only valued dead — mainly for its oil and baleen, or ‘whalebone’. Beginning in Australia shortly after European colonisation, whaling and the export of whale products became Australia’s first primary industry. Early Australian whalers once hunted from small boats, towing their catch back for processing at
Preferred area for Winter
Hervey Bay is a unique winter stopover ground for the migratory parade of Humpback whales. It is believed the calm, shallow, protected waters of the Bay is a preferred area for yearlings, sub-adult (sexually immature whales), followed by mature females in late August, and then we begin to see mothers with newborn calves in Sept-Oct. By mid-September the mature males have found the Bay, and the waters come alive with their haunting songs.
The arrival of the males, also means increased activity with males competing with one another for access to females.
This means more aerial activity such as breaching (leaping nearly out of the water), and many head, tail and flipper displays. Hervey Bay’s the only area in the world where humpbacks consistently approach vessels.
The curious humpbacks of Hervey Bay provide some of the most unusual and prolonged encounters with humans. These ‘muggings' are very unusual outside of the Bay and have made whalewatches in the Bay legendary. Even if you have watched whales elsewhere, nothing compares to watching the curious humpback whales of Hervey Bay.
Hervey Bay is a unique winter stopover ground for the migratory parade of Humpback whales. It is believed the calm, shallow, protected waters of the Bay is a preferred area for yearlings, sub-adult (sexually immature whales), followed by mature females in late August, and then we begin to see mothers with newborn calves in Sept-Oct. By mid-September the mature males have found the Bay, and the waters come alive with their haunting songs.
The arrival of the males, also means increased activity with males competing with one another for access to females.
This means more aerial activity such as breaching (leaping nearly out of the water), and many head, tail and flipper displays. Hervey Bay’s the only area in the world where humpbacks consistently approach vessels.
The curious humpbacks of Hervey Bay provide some of the most unusual and prolonged encounters with humans. These ‘muggings' are very unusual outside of the Bay and have made whalewatches in the Bay legendary. Even if you have watched whales elsewhere, nothing compares to watching the curious humpback whales of Hervey Bay.
shore stations which one was believed to be at Urangan on the shore at Dayman Park. The development of harpoon guns, explosive harpoons and steam-driven boats made commercial whaling so efficient that many whale species came very close to extinction. When southern right whales and blue whales became scarce, Australian whalers began to target humpback whales, killing approximately 8300 off the east coast between 1949 and 1962 until the International Whaling Commission banned humpback whaling in the Southern Hemisphere in 1963. It is estimated that the east coast population of humpbacks was sadly little over 100 individuals.
Fascinating Humpback whale facts!
The Humpback whale is a species of Baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 m and weigh about 36,000 kg. The Humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head.
Life span - 45 – 50 years
No Teeth - The Humpback Whale has no teeth, they have baleen plates, that acts like a giant sieve!
Blow Holes - The Humpback Whale has two blow holes, one for each lung. Each of its lungs is the size
of a small car.
Baby Whales - A baby Whale is called a calf. They are nearly one tonne when they are born and
suckle up to 600 litres of milk a day from their mums!
Song - Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours. It is thought to have a role in mating.
The Bay’s other Whales
Antarctic Minke Whale
is more robust than the other large rorquals (large baleen whales). The rostrum of the Antarctic Minke Whale is very narrow and pointed, with a single ridge on the head .The maximum length of Antarctic Minke Whales appears to be around 9.8 m. Not gregarious and
Bryde's Whales
are the second smallest of the (baleen whales).
The rostrum is
V-shaped but has three parallel ridges between the blowhole and
nostril tip.
They can grow to 14.6 m (males) or 15.6 m (females). Bryde's Whales are not gregarious and mostly swim alone or in pairs.
Pilot Whales
Southern Right
tend to swim alone or in pairs, large feeding groups of up to 400 individuals may form. Minke whales are known to be curious, often approaching boats from a distance. Antarctic Minke Whales probably do not migrate as far north as Dwarf Minke Whales but this species does undergo extensive migration between the summer Antarctic feeding grounds and winter sub-tropical to tropical breeding grounds. Mature Antarctic Minke Whales feed primarily on the Antarctic Krill. www.environment.gov.au
Bryde's Whale is considered to be a fairly opportunistic feeder, readily consuming whatever shoaling prey is available, such as pilchard, anchovy, sardine, mackerel, herring and other schooling fish. www.environment.gov.au
Whales are large baleen whales with a less streamlined shape than balaenopterids like Humpback Whales.
They grow to a maximum length of 17.5 m and weight of 80 t, with mature females often slightly larger than males. The majority are uniformly black in colour, no dorsal fin.
Thought to be solitary during migration, or accompanied by a dependent calf or occasionally a yearling offspring. Forming large groups in breeding areas. These have been recorded in the coastal waters of all Australian states with the exception of the Northern Territory. Krill is a major food source and require adequate supplies of food to accumulate energy reserves that is essential for migration and breeding. Depletion of krill through over harvesting may be a potential future threat for the Australian population of Southern Right Whales. www.environment.gov.au
have a robust body with a thick tail stock.
The dorsal fin is wide, broad based, falcate and set well forward on the body. Occurring in tropical and warm-temperate waters world-wide.
The Long-finned Pilot Whale is widely recorded in colder waters off southern Australia.
The Short-Finned Pilot Whales reaches physical maturity at approximately 17 years and is more than 5 m in length, a maximum age of 46 years. While females are smaller at 4.8 m and reach 63 years. Feeding mainly on squid, cuttlefish, octopus and some fish. www.environment.gov.au
Falls and Waterholes
Throughout the region you will find many
freshwater swimming holes.
Please be cautious and have a common sense
approach as there are no lifeguards. Observe the
safety signs and never jump straight in.
Here are some spots worth checking out.
Searys Creek
Located 7 km from Rainbow Beach. It's well
signposted and is off Rainbow Beach Rd, towards
Gympie and Tin Can Bay. There are two main access points for swimming. Wooden steps lead you down to one of two swimming areas, shallow and clear, where swimmers of all skills can take a refreshing dip. A bit further off the beaten track is Poona Lake if you are willing to walk.
It’s a standard car drive to the Bymien Picnic Area on Freshwater Rd. Then a 40-minute bushwalk through Great Sandy National Park to the lake surrounded by paperbarks and sand dunes. Slightly discoloured by the Tea trees it is still clear and great for swimming.
Wongi Waterhole
Located 25km north-west of Maryborough. Head 12.5km towards Childers on the Bruce Highway then turn left at Warrah Rd and follow the signed, unsealed road 10km into the picnic and camping areas. Wongi Waterholes are nestled within the Wongi National Park. Fringed by paperbarks and rushes also surrounded by eucalypt forest and exotic pine plantations make this string of beautiful waterholes special places to visit. Further on is Lake Lenthall, the water supply for the Fraser Coast Regional Council is in the heart of the forest.
Utopia Falls and rock pools
From Maryborough travel along the Maryborough-Biggenden Road for 50km, turning left at Innoorroolabar Road. Follow this road for about 2.5km and then take the right-hand turn at Utopia Road, which is a dirt road that is not signed. Follow Utopia Road until you reach the car park. At the northern tip of Mount Walsh National Park, the walk to the pools is 1.5km. Some sections are steep and rocky. Hear the sound of running water. Climb up and over the rocks to see Waterfall Creek and the rock pools. These pools are very inviting and full of crystal
clear water. Some are very deep, so take care when having a dip as the slabs of granite can be very slippery. It is best to visit the pools just after rain. During dry weather the pools become stagnant, Summer months can be very hot and is not a pleasant walk.
