Although the Head of Bight in South Australia is off the beaten track for many, it is firmly in the sights of scores of grey nomads as they cross the Nullarbor. For those who time their journeys to coincide with the whale watching season (May – October), there can be an added bonus of seeing these magnificent creatures frolic in the sheltered waters of the Bight. And happily, it seems that this activity will be one that can continue well into the future.
According to the IN Daily, researchers have discovered the southern right whale population is experiencing something of a baby boom this season. A team of researchers from Curtin University, led by PhD candidates Claire Charlton and Rhianne Ward, have been at Head of Bight on the edge of the remote Nullarbor Plain since mid-June and have counted up to 172 whales, including 81 mothers with calves on a single day. It is the highest figure since data collection began in 1991 at what is Australia’s biggest southern right calving ground.
Charlton said the record numbers were consistent with the 7 per cent growth rate since southern right whales were almost wiped out by commercial whaling in Australia from 1820 to 1935.
“We’re having a great season,” Charlton said. “We had a really low year last year so we expected to have a good year this year to make up for that.
“While the numbers are high this year and it is a good sign of the increase in the population, it’s still important to note that these animals are still listed as endangered and their numbers are very low compared to what they were pre-whaling.”
The research indicates that Australia’s southern right whale population has reached its highest point in more than a century, with record numbers sighted this year at the calving ground at Head of Bight in South Australia.
Females give birth every three to four years and reach sexual maturity at nine years of age. Adults can grow up to 18 metres long, weigh 80 tonnes and are believed to live for about 80 years.
The Head of Bight Visitor Centre has been inundated with about 250 whale watchers a day. Charlton said the 55m-high Bunda Cliffs overlooking Head of Bight made for an ideal vantage point to watch the whales.
“A lot of people travel here to see the whales but it also just shows how many people are crossing the Nullarbor. A lot of people are caravanners or Grey Nomads cruising around and coming for a look.
“The whales come very close to shore – usually within a few hundred metres and sometimes as close as 60 metres.”
Charlton said boat traffic, noise and the potential for an oil spill were the primary factors that could influence the whales.
“Most certainly they need consideration because we know that the development is in an area that is significant to the whales,” she said.
