Whale Watching the Migration passing Norfolk Island 2022

It is migration time of year for the Southern Ocean whales. This is the time of year the whale’s migration return from the tropical breeding grounds on their journey to the southern waters and Antarctica for the summer months. The whales travel the Norfolk Island waters, their journey also takes them along the migratory Pacific Ocean corridors passing New Zealand, Australia, and New Caledonia coast lines.

During past weeks I have been looking out to sea hoping to catch sight of a whales, their splash or spray. On calm days it would be so easy to see them out at sea if they happen to breach and dive. During July there has been sighting by local fishermen and I enjoy reading the weekly fishing reports from Scotty Greenwood. The whales are sometimes spotted by locals and tourists, and it is a great enjoyable past time from the Norfolk Island cliff top views.

On 16 June 2021, last year, Kath King and Margaret Christian spotted a Humpback Whale swimming with its calve at Ball Bay, not far from the rocky coastal shoreline. They were in the right place at the right time to capture images of the whales breaching.

The Humpback whales are known to travel in pods, and I wonder how many whales migrate past Norfolk Island shores each year?

I have learnt that when the whales travel to Antarctica in the spring, they travel slowly because they have young calves on their first journey to the southern waters. On the onset of winter, the whales migrate north, and they travel at a steady speed.

The most common whale viewed from Norfolk Island is the “Humpback” whales. But other whales are also viewed such as “Minke” whales as well as the “Blainville's Beaked” whales.

HUMPBACK WHALE Megaptera novaeangliae

Length 11–15 m/ 37–50 ft. DORSAL FIN Small, nubby fin with broad base APPEARANCE Black body; bumps or knobs on head; long pectoral fins with white underside BEHAVIOUR Medium-sized, bushy blow; usually surfaces 2-5 times between deep dives; often raises tail flukes on final dive.

It is always exciting to see the whales from clifftops, but if you get the opportunity, another way to sight the migrating whales, is from the local fishing boats or the Norfolk Island charter boats, which regularly spend time fishing the Norfolk Island coastal areas.

If you do see any whales take note of WHAT, WHERE & WHEN. Record the time and where the whales are sighted and the direction they are travelling. These records of the whale sightings can be recorded for the Norfolk Island Fauna and Flora Society and for annual whale surveys. It is always exciting to see the whales when they are passing Norfolk Island and I always hope to capture them on my camera.

Here are a couple of images which show what to look for when whale watching. Thank you everyone who report the whales that are spotted as they migrate passed Norfolk Island.

Happy Whale Watching everyone!

https://iwc.int/smallcetacean

https://norfolkislandwhalesurvey.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Norfolk-Island-Whale-Survey-148724795167684/?fref=t

Betty Matthews

August 2022