Whale News - September 2021
It has been a challenging month for our southern right whale monitoring program with covid restrictions resulting in the volunteer program at Logans Beach being closed down and less eyes on the water across the state. None the less those who are lucky enough to live within 5km of the coast have provided us with some sightings whilst out getting their daily exercise. We have also had data coming in from our colleagues at Parks Victoria and from our health assessment and juvenile recruitment study. Look out for more details on this project in our next update.
This month we highlight the re-sightings of three familiar breeding females and the outstanding efforts of our amazing citizen science community, who have helped track these individuals over time.
Our first re-sight is somewhat of a mysterious female (SE1719) who has given birth to three calves between 2012 and 2021. She was first photographed with a calf in Portland by Bob McPherson in 2012. She was then photographed five years later (2017) with a calf in San Remo by Chris Farrell and again this year with a calf in Portland. Bob managed to capture an almost identical image of her breaching eight years apart where her distinctive white belly patches can be seen. We are unsure where this female prefers to reside with her calves as up until now, we have had very few verified sightings of her. We are hoping that when we examine all our images from this season, we find some more of her and learn more about her movements.
SE1719 at Portland on 14th September 2012, Bob McPherson
SE1719 at San Remo on 5th August 2017, Chris Farrell
SE1719 at Portland on 16th August 2021, Bob McPherson (Inset photo is of SE1719 breaching in 2012).
The second re-sight is SE1338, known as Thin Lips who has given birth to at least three calves in south-west Victoria. She first made it into our catalogue (SEA SRW PIC) in 2013 when she was photographed with a calf at Logans Beach. She returned to Logans Beach in 2017 and was sighted there multiple times throughout the 2017 season with her calf. This season, however, it appears that she has been spending a lot of time near Narrawong where we have recorded as many as 6 cow:calf pairs. She was snapped again this year back at Logans Beach on 05/09/21 by Coralee Thorsen, who remembered the distinct white stripe on her throat, and was able to make an ID (confirmed by examining the callosity patterns).
Thin Lips at Logans Beach on 25th July 2017, Kylie Moroney
Thin Lips at Logans Beach on 5th September 2021, Coralee Thorsen
The third re-sight is a female known as Tyers (SE1818). She was first entered into the SEA SRW PIC in 2018 (photographed in East Gippsland by Chris Farrell). This year she has been sighted at Port Fairy (10-11 Aug Maureen Macdonald), Bridgewater (14-15 Aug Allen McCauley) and Encounter Bay in SA (25 Aug). This female moved long distances with a calf in both years: from Gippsland Vic to Encounter Bay SA, in 18 days in 2018; and from Port Fairy to Encounter Bay in 15 days in 2021! Thanks to Elizabeth Steele-Collins from the SA Encounter Bay Right Whale Study (EBRWS) for alerting us to this movement.
Tyres and calf at Port Fairy on 10th of August 2021, Maureen MacDonald
Sighting summary by Area
Below is a list of significant sightings we have received between 17 August – 15 September 2021.
Please note that this sightings summary is preliminary and does not include all data we have received. All data will be finalised at the end of the season when our validating and photo matching/cataloguing takes place.
CC = cow:calf
UA = unacompanied adult (i.e., not with calf)
Logans Beach/Warrnambool area:
At least 1 CC pair in this area on most days. Last CC pair sighting in the area on 5 September.
Killarney – Port Fairy:
1 CC on 18 and 27 August,
Portland (Yambuk-Bridgewater):
CC pairs in the area on most days, with 3 separate pairs sighted on the 18 August and 5 separate pairs on 27 August. Last CC sighting in the area was 2 pairs on 6 September.
Surf Coast:
1 UA near Marengo on 29 August and 2 UA between Aireys Inlet and Anglesea on 11 September.
Gippsland:
1 CC pair near Wilsons Promontory 28th of August
Happy whale watching!
Mandy and Kasey
