World Whale Day
18 February 2025
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Every year on the third Sunday in February is World Whale Day and this year it was observed on 16 February 2025. Here on Norfolk Island, I always enjoy watching the migration of the whales, looking out to sea, hoping to spot the splashes of the humpback whales, with my camera ready to capture and record them. I have also watched orca whales in New Zealand as the pod swam along the Napier coastal area.
I have read that World Whale Day started in Maui, Hawaii by founder Greg Kaufman in 1980, 45 years ago. Today there many marine scientists, community groups along with Pacific Whale Foundation, who have promoted the protection of the ocean through science and advocacy. In 1966, many governments introduced laws to stop whaling and in 1971 “Save the Whales” campaign highlighted the plight of whales. The year before in 1970, the Blue Whales were listed as an endangered species, as their numbers where declining.
Whale conservation is continued with events like World Whale Day, whale research and conservation and protecting the whales and their marine environment. Along with citizen science and environmental groups, there are annual “great whale count”, helping to clean debris and rubbish to assist to restore beaches and the ocean water. There is education through watching short films and documentaries. To learn more about Pacific Whale Foundation check out this internet link: pacificwhale.org.
Whale Watch | Pacific Whale Foundation
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https://www.pacificwhale.org/whale-watch-maui/
It is exciting to see the pods of whales pass Norfolk Island, the annual journey from the southern ocean and Antarctica happens every winter and returning in the spring with their calves to spend the summer in the southern waters. The most common whale viewed from Norfolk Island is the “Humpback” whales, but other whales are also viewed such as “Minke” whales.
The whales’ stories are always interesting, and I sometimes think about what the view must have been like before the whale industries devastated the whale population over half a century ago. It is good to know that whaling finished many years ago, but if you visit the Norfolk Island Museum Pier Store at Kingston, you can read and view displays about the early years of whaling on Norfolk Island.
Beaked Whales are also sighted on Norfolk Island, especially by fisherman. They are smaller and have a long body and are known to be deep divers. On 26 April 2016, a Blainville’s Beaked Whale was stranded on the reef at Slaughter Bay, Kingston. I will always remember the community effort to attempt to rescue the exhausted whale, but it was too injured to survive and later died. The poor thing was very battered, bruised and cut up as the waves bashed it into the coral reef on the shoreline.
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norfolkonlinenews.com/article/stranded-blainvilles-beaked-whale-201628423
https://www.norfolkonlinenews.com/article/stranded-blainvilles-beaked-whale-201628423
Wojtek Bachara, a whale researcher from Poland, contacted me in 2016 and together we gathered information, and he then put together a scientific paper including my photographs.
Last year, on 8 January 2024 Norfolk Island Humpback Whales postage stamps series was issued by Australia Post. The Norfolk Island Humpback Whales postage stamps series had two stamps in this set of postage stamps $1.20 Humpback Whale breaching and $2.40 Humpback Whale with calf.
Here are extracts from my 2024 article about the postage stamps:
Overview
Several species of whale frequent the waters around Norfolk Island, but the most significant in terms of the island’s history is the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Adult Humpbacks range in length from 14 to 17 metres and weigh up to 40 metric tonne (44 short ton). The species is notable for the complex song of male adults and for its spectacular breaching behaviour, where animals leap through the surface of the water, making the species popular with whale watchers. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head.
Valued for its rich oil, the species was hunted almost to extinction in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, Humpback Whales are protected, and whale watchers on Norfolk Island can observe the annual migration of the species as animals travel thousands of kilometres from feeding grounds in Antarctic waters to breed and calve in the warm tropical seas around New Caledonia.
While in Antarctica, during December to mid-March, Humpback Whales feed on krill to sustain them for their long journey north. Then from mid-March to early April, and depending on sex and maturity, the whales leave in groups at different times. These groups follow routes up the coast of eastern and western Australia and eastern New Zealand. They will breed and give birth in the subtropical and tropical waters of Australia and the South Pacific Islands. Other groups from Antarctica travel up the east and west coast of South America and Africa.
On average, Humpback Whales can travel approximately 1,500km each month; some will rest in bays and inlets on their journey north. Usually, the first whales spotted along the coast of Australia and New Zealand are around May.
I enjoy learning about the marine environment and sharing the knowledge in my articles. I thought it was interesting to read that many whales have a similar lifespan to that of a human, some blue whales can live to about 80 to 90 years old, while orcas only love 10 to 45 years.
This is another interesting link with information about World Whale Day.
World Whale Day (February 16th, 2025) | Days Of The Year
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-whale-day/
It is great to see the whales as they pass Norfolk Island and I enjoy sharing images of the whales, especially when they are close to shore and easy to photograph.
Let’s keep caring for the ocean, our beaches the marine environment and promote World Whale Day.
Betty Matthews
21 February 2025