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Friday
26th June 2009 -
Still no whales - But!! - The weather during the last
week has been almost perfect for whale watching with sunny
days, light sea breezes and a flat sea, just a pity there
haven't been any whales to watch. Hopefully that is about
to change with several reports of increased whale activity.
We have had reported sighting from Michelle Jones who had
spotted whale off Peterborough yesterday just near Worm Bay
heading in Warrnambool's direction. Michelle commented that
she "didn't think there will be much of a wait.."
We all hope Michelle's prediction comes true
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Fine and sunny conditions at Logan's beach this morning with
an almost flat sea - perfect conditions for whale watching -
only one thing missing - The Whales !! |
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| Westerly view from Logan's beach
whale lookout with Lady Bay and the breakwater in the background,
and a lone beach walker enjoying the winter sunshine |
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whale lookout at Logan's beach almost deserted, despite the
sunny conditions. This morning was ideal weather to bring a
book and to sit back and relax and listen to the sound of the
waves breaking on the shore and not have to worry about searching
the horizon for the tell tale signs of any whales - mainly because
there weren't any. |
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| This photo was taken at Logan's
beach last Sunday when members of the FJ and FX Holden club
visited Warrnambool. |
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". That 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 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 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 and brochures and visitor information reinforced
the story, 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 historically incorrect.
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Daily
Update -Thursday 2nd July
Warrnambool's wet and wintery weather seems to have set
in, with rain and high winds for the past three days
Whale
spotting conditions at Logan's beach are very difficult- there
could be a dozen whales in the bay and not be seen - possibly
better conditions by Sunday
Still no Whales sighted today
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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
$95
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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l18
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 raise 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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