Even in early May - the mere beginning of the Sydney whale watching season - whales are being spotted in close proximity to (and even within) the waters of Sydney Harbour. On Wednesday the 8th of May a Manly Kayak Centre employee, Daniel Nugent, was tendering one of our whale watching operators, Blake Horton to the Ocean Extreme vessel moored off of West Esplanade when both they and a departing ferry were stopped in their tracks by a surfacing Humpback Calf. Providing as much distance as possible, and making sure not to approach from behind the whale, Daniel and Blake were left in a state of awe as the young whale headed south from a position roughly 50m from Manly Wharf’s Wharf 3.
Whale sightings within Sydney Harbour are not unheard of during peak season, however, to see such a young whale so far north in the harbour, and so early in the whale watching season, is extremely rare. Both Blake, a whale watching operator with over eight years experience, and Daniel, a Manly local who has spent countless hours on the waters of North Harbour, were surprised by this rare and magical encounter. “As we were driving out to cross the ferry path we ended up stuck behind a fast ferry trying to reverse…” Daniel explained “...to our surprise it was a humpback calf that had stopped the ferry. It was incredible. It was the first time I’ve seen a whale in North Harbour.”
It is believed the juvenile humpback took a wrong turn into the harbour, and upon reaching Manly doubled back to depart through the heads and continue north to warmer waters. Whale Watching Sydney were equally as excited by the phenomenon, a facebook post reading “Whale in the Harbour around Manly right now!” One of their crew members was able to capture the whale surfacing, with the aforementioned video available on their facebook page. It is clear that the whale watching season is just around the corner, and with this unexpected appearance expectations for an action packed season are building steadily.
If we’re seeing action this early, and within the confines of Sydney Harbour, we find ourselves asking the question of what excitement awaits offshore, outside the heads of Sydney Harbour and along the mammalian motorway that is the east coast of Australia?
See Whale Watching Sydney’s video here: https://www.facebook.com/whalewatchingsydney/videos/303812997220842
Whale sightings within Sydney Harbour are not unheard of during peak season, however, to see such a young whale so far north in the harbour, and so early in the whale watching season, is extremely rare. Both Blake, a whale watching operator with over eight years experience, and Daniel, a Manly local who has spent countless hours on the waters of North Harbour, were surprised by this rare and magical encounter. “As we were driving out to cross the ferry path we ended up stuck behind a fast ferry trying to reverse…” Daniel explained “...to our surprise it was a humpback calf that had stopped the ferry. It was incredible. It was the first time I’ve seen a whale in North Harbour.”
It is believed the juvenile humpback took a wrong turn into the harbour, and upon reaching Manly doubled back to depart through the heads and continue north to warmer waters. Whale Watching Sydney were equally as excited by the phenomenon, a facebook post reading “Whale in the Harbour around Manly right now!” One of their crew members was able to capture the whale surfacing, with the aforementioned video available on their facebook page. It is clear that the whale watching season is just around the corner, and with this unexpected appearance expectations for an action packed season are building steadily.
If we’re seeing action this early, and within the confines of Sydney Harbour, we find ourselves asking the question of what excitement awaits offshore, outside the heads of Sydney Harbour and along the mammalian motorway that is the east coast of Australia?
See Whale Watching Sydney’s video here: https://www.facebook.com/whalewatchingsydney/videos/303812997220842
