Whales & Penguins ...
Victor Harbor is lucky to have two famous residents - The Southern Right Whale who travel in packs and visit our shores every winter, and the little penguin (Eudyptula minor) the worlds smallest penguin, and one of few penguin colony's to be so close to a city.
Whale Watching
The most reliable time of year to spot a whale is during July and August.
Migratory patterns are somewhat predictable, returning to our sheltered, warm waters to mate or give birth to their young. The unique behaviour of the southern right whale makes it an ideal species for land-based whale watching and they can often be sighted within 100m of the shore.
Whale watching hotspots in Victor Harbor include the Bluff, Granite Island, Chiton Rocks and Waitpinga.
Southern rights have very stubby and broad pectoral (side) fins. Their 80-tonne bodies are rotund rather than streamlined and a full-grown adult can reach 18m - the size of a bus.
At a distance, you can identify a southern right whale by their v-shaped blow or exhalation. Although they can hold their breath for up to an hour, they are more likely to resurface after 10-20 minutes where they will rest. Up close, a sure indicator of the southern right is the callosities on the head - these thickened skin patches are like a callous, with each whale having a distinct pattern.
Once the season has ended, southern rights begin the journey home to the Sub-Antarctic, their summer feeding grounds. Rarely swimming faster than 10km/h, the migration can take several months.
We are fortunate in South Australia to have the opportunity to enjoy a unique, rare and special experience with these magnificent creatures. With increased efforts to conserve and protect these mammals, their future seems promising.
For more information on whale watching, visit the Whale Information Booth at the Victor Harbor Visitor Information Centre. For sighting updates, call The Whale Information Hotline 1900 WHALES (1900 942 537) or visit www.sawhalecentre.com.
The Southern Right Whale
It wasn't until the early 1990s that southern right whales began returning to the waters of Encounter Bay.
Whales off Victor Harbor were hunted vigorously from 1837 to the 1860s. European whalers principally took the slow-moving species swimming closest to shore, making one species in particular the 'right' type of whale - hence the name. When a whale was spotted, a flag was raised on top of The Bluff, small whaling skiffs were launched and men at the prow made ready with their harpoons.
Before whaling, southern rights were estimated to number 100,000; today, only some 7000 remain in the southern hemisphere. It's a slow recovery, but a recovery nonetheless. And it makes us feel extra-privileged to have these magnificent creatures visit our shores.
The Little Penguin
Victor Harbor is home to several colonies of little penguin (Eudyptula Minor). The world's smallest penguin, it stands just 35cm and weighs about 1.2kg.
Our rugged, rocky coastline makes an ideal breeding ground for these flightless birds and the cool Southern Ocean provides abundant school fish, squid and krill.
The male penguin will construct his burrow in a rock crevice or sand dune, then invite a female to inspect; if she likes it, she will mate and lay up to three clutches of eggs in the winter months.
Little penguins are vulnerable to sea eagles, fur seals, goannas, snakes, dogs, foxes, cats and humans. Conservation and education programs - as well as responsible visitors - ensure the survival of this remarkable colony, one of very few to be so close to a city. |
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Whales, like humans, have their own distinct and individual personalities.They portray their emotions
through sound and movement. There are several types of ‘typical’ whale behaviour you might observe
when watching whales. Whether it’s a subtle body roll or a spectacular breach, whales display different
behaviours for different reasons. It may be to communicate, to remove parasites, to search for food, or
simply just to have some fun. There’s nothing more amusing than watching a young calf trying to mimic
its mother’s behaviour.
 BREACHING
This is the spectacular activity of launching about
three-quarters of their body out of the water,
twisting and splashing back down. Whales breach
for several reasons – to communicate, dislodge
parasites, get a better view, drive off predators or
just play.
 BODY ROLLS
Whales frequently lay upside down, rolling on
the surface with their pectoral fins stuck out for
balance. Body rolls may allow the whale to rest or
stretch, or, if it’s a female, to avoid the demands
of a hungry calf or the advances of males during
courtship.
 TAIL LIFTS
Whales are able to suspend their tails above the
water for long periods by dropping their heads
and maintaining position with their pectoral fins.
Again, this may be for reasons of resting, studying
the water below, or catching the wind and actually
sailing along.
 PEC SLAPS
A less strenuous way for whales to communicate,
this is the action of laying on the surface and
slapping the water with the pectoral fin.
 TAIL LOBS
Tail flukes measure up to 5m across and weigh
several tonnes. Whales will often lift them out of the
water then bring them back down hard with a loud
‘crack’. Tail lobbing is a means of communicating,
driving off predators and/or having fun.
 SPY HOPPING
The eyes are set low in southern right whales
because their natural predators and hazards come
from below. They can, however, lift their head above
the surface when they want to look around.
 BLOWING
Whales exhale air from the blowholes on top of their
heads at great pressure, causing moisture in their
breath to condense and create a cloud or ‘blow’.
Southern rights have a distinctive V-shaped ‘bushy’
blow that’s usually emitted every minute or so after
being submerged.
 DEEP DIVING
When whales wish to dive deeply or quickly, they
drop their heads, lift their tails out of the water and
swim straight down.
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