Mother and calf humpback put on a show

22nd of August 2024

Whale season in the Tropical North is in full swing with daily humpback sightings. This mother and calf put on a show for passengers and crew aboard dive and snorkel vessel Silverswift as they playfully breached repeatedly out of the water. Watch to see mamma show how it's done! 

The encounter occurred near Green Island as the vessel was returning from a day at the Outer Reefs.

Quicksilver Group Environment and Compliance Manager, and cetacean expert, Phil Coulthard said “Whale season is in full swing and it’s always very exciting to see the humpbacks in our tropical waters. This mother and calf duo have been seen around the same location for several days. 

We’re seeing the humpbacks almost daily at this time of year. It’s part of their winter migration to our region from the southern oceans of Australia to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.”

The sightings are recorded for the GBRMPA’s Eye on the Reef monitoring program.

Humpbacks are generally seen at the Great Barrier Reef between the months of June to September with regular sightings near Green Island and at the Outer Reefs, bringing an added bonus for passengers at this time.

Humpback whales regularly migrate from Antarctic waters along the east coast of Australia every winter to the warmer waters of the Great Barrier Reef to breed and calve. They grow up to approximately 16 metres in length, weighing in at 30-40 tonnes. Male humpbacks produce “songs”, which are believed to attract females at mating times.

Humpbacks can display a wide range of behaviour, including:

• Tail slapping: This is where they slap their tail on the surface. It can be a form of communication, but more often than not it is an aggressive display. 
• Spy Hop: Humpbacks will often surface vertically, and actually stick their head out of the water so that they can see above the waterline. 
• The Blow: Often the first indication that a whale is in the area. The vapour cloud produced is caused when the whale empties its lungs, and can be quite pungent if you’re downwind!
• Breaching: The most spectacular display of all, where the animal leaps almost clear of the water, creating the kind of splash that only a 40 tonne animal can produce!

Video clip from Teresa Souyet, Reef Biosearch Marine Biologist