Whale Watching
Whale watching has become a favourite pastime with Australians and visitors. The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is so named because of its long pectoral fins (in Greek 'megas' means great and 'pteron' means wing). It is the fifth largest of all the whales with examples reported up to 15 metres long and around 40 tonnes in weight. The females grow to a slightly greater length than the males.
Humpbacks are generally black on their backs and white on their underside although there have been several sightings in Hervey Bay of all-black whales. An all-white humpback called 'Migaloo' visits the Gold Coast on occasions and this generates a great deal of excitement as good photos of the whale are still rare.
Barnacles often form on the Humpback's jaw, pectoral fins and the edges of the tail fluke. On its head it has a number of tubercles (round knobs) from each of which grows a long thick hair. These are believed to be sensors.
It is understood that humpback whales can reach an age of fifty years, perhaps even more, but this age of course was seldom reached during the years of commercial whaling.
It appears that adults continue a regular visiting cycle, to the Gold Coast Coast:
August - mainly adults
September - adults, juveniles, mothers and calves
October - mainly mothers and calves, sometimes in company of an "escort", another adult.
For more information see:
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