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| Humpback Whales on Fraser Island |
The magical creature of the Humpback whale is an unforgettable sight up close and personal. With the stunning Fraser Island listed as one of the top travel spots to see these spectacular whales in person. Spot them from the island’s coastal lookout as the whale’s leap from the ocean and splash their huge pectoral fins on the ocean top.
About Humpback Whales
The name ‘humpback’ comes from the large hump that forms when the whales arch their backs before making the deep dive into the ocean. They are enormous beings, around about the same size as a bus. Ranging in colour from either black or grey, with white speckles on their undersides and flippers. They are famous for their hauntingly beautiful songs, filled with long howls, moans, and cries, that can last up to hours. The songs travel huge distances through the world’s ocean water, reaching other herds of whales that are up to 5000km away. It is still a bit of a mystery of why these whales sing, with researchers guessing it is due to attracting partners and setting territorial markers.
Migration
Humpback whales are seasoned travellers, migrating between summer and winter locations. During summer, the whales travel up to high latitudes to the feeding grounds. Their way of feeding is a completely unique style called bubble-netting. Releasing large rings of bubbles from the bottom of the ocean which capture schools of fish as the bubbles rise. The whales then surface slowly with their mouths open to capture the fish contained in the rings.
For wintertime, they travel to low latitude sub-tropic waters for mating and calving. These whales have quite a complex courtship. Males will first surround one single female, competition against each other to get closest to her until one is victorious. Females only breed every two to four years, carrying each calf for about 12 months. The calves are born in these warmer waters, and once they are strong enough, trek with their mother to the colder waters for feeding.
Whale Watching
The Humpbacks have a particular route they always travel on during their journey to and from the cold and warm waters. Fraser Island lies just along this route, giving you a perfect viewpoint as the whales pass through. They usually dawdle during the trek, giving you a chance to see them frolic these waters for quite some time. Simply head to Fraser’s coast, (not before stopping to visit the ancient rainforest) and stop at the pristine beaches to look out and see the incredible Humpback Whales. If you are straining your eyes why not join on one of the cruises that get you a bit closer?
For more information, please visit: https://fraserislandtoursaustralia.com.au/
Tips visiting the Fraser Island
