Southern Right Whales have started making their way down to the South Coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula as part of their annual migration from Antarctica to the warmer waters of Encounter Bay.
The first sightings have been made this week with four or five of the species spotted this week around Middleton, Encounter Bay and Kangaroo Island.
Joel Hirsch from Big Duck Boat Tours told ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman that it is extraordinary when you get to see the gentle giants from a short distance away.
“It is something special to be out on the water and see these huge megafauna, it’s amazing,” Joel said.
While Humpback Whales have been passing through on the way to tropical spots since mid-May, it is the Southern Right Whales that will call Encounter Bay home for the months ahead as they court, mate and birth and rear their calves.
Joel said his business’s busiest time for whale watching is coming up in the weeks and months ahead.
“We’re still early in the season with four or five Southern Rights just being seen but the best months are coming up, so July and August tend to be the most reliable months for whale watching,” he said.
For those who are keen to see whales from the shore, Anna Kantilaftas from the SA Whale Centre in the City of Victor Harbor suggests the whale look-out in Encounter Bay, the top of the Bluff for those game to climb it, Basham’s Beach and Frenchman’s Lookout in Port Elliot.
The return of the Southern Right Whales comes midway through the month-long Winter Whale Festival in Victor Harbor, which includes 25 curated events, including boat and walking tours, scuba dives, exhibitions, film screenings, a science fair and talks.
Check out the whale sighting log online.
