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Saturday 17th October 2009 - No Whales. Warrnambool's
weather has improved in the last few days although it is still
cloudy and overcast. There has patches of blue sky during
the afternoon also the wind has eased and currently there
is a very light sea breeze at Logan's beach
There have been no further sightings of any whales since
last Monday and it looks as if this years whale watching season
is over, although there will probably be a few intermittent
sightings of whales as the begin their migration back to Antarctica.
Reports from other whale watching regions also tend to indicate
that this years season is over, in particular Victor Harbour
haven't sighted any whales since the 11th of October.
The last few weeks have been something of a bonus as normally
the whale season would have ended by the middle of September.
Photos below taken 11th October 2009 |
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Today's sunny conditions were ideal for spending time relaxing
on the beach - or even taking the dog for a walk .
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| A dozen or more boardriders making
the most of the sunny conditions at Logan's beach this afternoon
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The
mother and calf were still about 200-300 metres West of the
whale lookout and were swimming a little bit further apart
this afternoon which made it a lot easier to get a relative
size of the mother and calf.
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South West Victoria's link with Southern
Right Whales ( Including Logan's beach)
Firstly a few facts - each year between May and June, Southern
Right Whales return to the southern coast of Australia ( also
New Zealand, South Africa and South America) to give birth,
raise their young and commence the breeding cycle again - of
the many thousands of Southern Right Whales on the planet, some
indeterminate number ( typically about a dozen) arrive in the
south west of Victoria.
What seems to happen when the pod arrives off the coast is that
the pregnant females isolate themselves from the pod and search
out a quiet location close to the shore to give birth and apparently
each female has her own favorite location. So what in effect
happens is that Southern Right whales will give birth in many
different locations along the South West coast ( Apollo Bay
to Portland) rather than just one location ( as some tourist
operators would like us to believe).
What sets Logan's beach apart is that there are a number of
females who consistently come back to this bay each time they
calve and that the vantage point at Logan's gives such a good
view from the shoreline. |
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South West Victoria's link with Blue Whales
(Portland - Cape Nelson)
Each year between November and April, along the South West
Coast of Victoria (and South Australia) an oceanographic phenomenon
called ocean upwelling occurs. A combination of winds and
currents cause cold, nutrient-rich bottom water to be forced
to the surface of the ocean. When the nutrients reach the
sunlit surface zone, there is an explosion of minute plant
life which includes 'phytoplankton', the basis of the marine
food chain, and also the primary food of the local species
of krill. The vast numbers of krill form part of an ocean
banquet which attracts large numbers of blue whales to this
feeding ground off Victoria's coast. The event is called "The
Bonney Upwelling" and is one of a handful of sites globally
where Blue whales can be seen surface-feeding. Although the
feeding site extends up to 30 - 50Kms off shore, they are
often sighted closer to shore and between December and May
blue whales are often visible from Cape Nelson, Cape Bridgewater
and the Blowholes, all near Portland. The whales are often
sighted within 10km of land, and sometimes within only a few
hundred metres. Their tall straight blows and silvery backs
can be seen from a great distance, and it likely that most
whales seen blowing out at sea during this period are blue
whales. This is one of the few places in the world where blue
whales can be viewed from land, while they hunt for and feed
on the abundant swarms of krill which are nourished by the
Bonney Upwelling.
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The Real Whale Facts - an
illustration of how tourism never lets the truth get in the
way of a good story - this small sign is located at the
Logan's beach whale lookout and without peering at the screen
too closely it states "a visit to Flagstaff Hill will
allow you see what life was like when present day Warrnambool
stood at the centre of a large whaling, sealing and fishing
industry". It all sounds very wonderful but the only
problem is that there is absolutely no evidence to suggest
that any whaling or sealing ever took place in Warrnambool.
Warrnambool was not settled until 1848 and by then the whaling
and sealing industries in Port Fairy and Portland had all
but ceased. Records kept from the time of the first settlement
do not mention anything about whaling in the town and as there
has never been any evidence of European occupancy prior to
this date there is nothing to suggest that any whaling and
sealing was ever conducted in Warrnambool.
The notion of Warrnambool's involvement in the whaling industry
is only quite recent and dates back to the 1970's when the
association between whales and tourism became popular and
it became desirable to have some form of historic connection
with the annual visit of the Southern Right whales. Local
tourist advertising then started to imply that Warrnambool
had been settled by whalers and sealers, which they thought
sounded a lot more romantic than being settled by farmers
and shopkeepers. The visitor information centres then repeated
this misinformation in brochures and advertising, also a permanent
display of whaling, whale boats and harpoons was set up in
Flagstaff Hill Maritime village, however none of these artifact
had any connection with Warrnambool. Then the local tourism
body started to promote whale boat races, and over a period
of several years, teams from America competed in an International
challenge series, thus cementing the concept that Warrnambool
was somehow the centre of the whaling industry.
The idea that Warrnambool had some connection while early
whalers might be romantic to some, but it is totally incorrect.
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Also
Please Note
Recent Television
advertising for Warrnambool's whale watch season depicts whales
breaching and launching themselves out of the water, also a
number of local tourism web sites describe the whales frollicking
and playing in the bay .
This is not striclty an accurate description of whale behavior.
Firstly whales weigh over 60 tons so they don't frollick like
new born lambs and it is quite rare to see a whale breach, so
when visiting Logan's beach please don't expect to see whales
leaping out of the water like dolphins, it is more likely that,
all you will see is the back or part of the head of the whale
and an ocassional fluke or tail will come out of the water.
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Daily
Update -Saturday 17th October
Grey skies but the weather is improving and there has
been a few patches of sunshine during the day
No
Whales at Logan's beach
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Warrnambool Watching
Deals
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City
Heart Motel
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Double
rooms from $80 per night including a free cooked breakfast
and family rooms from $120 (4 guests ) This Winter special deal
is available until 15th of September ( slightly more during
the school holidays) City Heart Motel is an inner city motel,
close to pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues. Owners,
Neville and Suellen Brown offer a warm and friendly welcome
to visitors and can arrange whale cruises or sightseeing with
a local charter operator
Please
click here for more information |
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Motel
Warrnambool
Whale Watching
Special
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Motel
Warrnambool are again running their two night whale watching
special, it includes two nights accommodation, cooked breakfast
each morning, a Whale cruise and $40 restaurant voucher, and
prices start a less than $250 per double.
Please
click here for more information |
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Atwood
Motor Inn -Winter Whale special
$90
per double - includes free breakfast
Located close to the centre of the city, the Atwood is close
to restaurants, pubs and entertainment and across the road
from McDonalds
Please
click here for more information
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Stingray
Villa -
3 bedroom luxury seaside apartment located opposite the Lake
Pertobe adventure playground and a healthy 30 minute walk to
Point Ritchie along the coastal promenade.
Stingray Villa has some great family winter specials accommodation
deals from $150 per night.
Please
click here for more information |
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18
Pertobe Rd -
Family Winter Special
Seaside apartment accommodation for a maximum of 6 guests in
the Attic Studio for just $150 per night. This special deal
will run from the 10th of June until the 14th of September.
$150 per night for up to 6 guests
Please
click here for more information |
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Tips For Whale Watching
- Check with the Warrnambool Visitor Centre
for daily sightings
- Take a good pair of binoculars or telescope
- Be prepared for long periods of waiting
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Whale facts
The Southern Right Whales is one of the largest mammals on earth
being only marginally smaller than the Blue and Humpback whales.
Like humans, they are warm blooded, give birth to live, fully
developed young, breathe air, and feed their young on their
milk. The calf is approximately 5 to 6 metres at birth and can
double in weight over the first week An
adult whale averages 15 - 18 metres in length and 50 - 90 tonnes
in weight
The Southern Right Whales normally swim between 3 to 9 kilometres
per hour.
They feed in the fertile waters of the Antarctic during summer
months and leave in late March and make their way north to give
birth and to succour their young and then in September ( or
October) return to the Antarctic.
The Southern Right Whale usually breeds every 3 years. The pregnancy
is 11 months. The Southern Right Whales received their name
from early whalers. This particular whale swims slowly, in herds,
and close to the shore. Once harpooned, they would float on
the surface. These whales produced a large amount of oil and
whalebone, making it an excellent catch, and the 'right' whale
to hunt. Today, the Southern Right Whale is protected in Australian
waters |
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