Endangered whale calf hit by boat in shocking drone footage: 'Absolutely horrific'
Photographer Michael Hatte was filming the mother and baby whales off the north end of Stanwell Park on Sunday, just south of Sydney, when he noticed the boat approaching. He told Yahoo News he watched the boat get closer and closer, and realised there was nothing he could do to stop them.
'It was absolutely horrific,' he said. "I'm not an emotional guy, but I was absolutely gutted after the incident."
He described the scene as a "recipe for disaster", saying it could've been "absolutely disastrous" for the trio involved.
"They are extremely lucky guys," he said.
The three occupants of the boat were not wearing lifejackets, and were thrown on top of one another after hitting the calf. Michael said he used his drone to check on the boaters after the collision and noticed they were driving a lot slower after the impact — though he was unsure whether this was due to shock or equipment damage.
Tragically, the calf's mother was also hit by a boat several weeks ago, though both animals appear to be doing well in the days following the latest incident.
Boaters urged to slow down during whale season
Southern right whales are an endangered species, and while their populations are recovering from the effects of commercial whaling from previous decades, they still have a long way to go.
Whale scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta told Yahoo the incident is tragic and serves as a reminder to boaters to be aware, particularly in the May to November months of migration.
'This is obviously a terrible thing to see, but this is an opportunity to send vessels a friendly reminder to keep an eye out,' she said.
'It's ironic that something the size of a bus can get hit, right? But even on the harbour last week, people just didn't see it. People aren't intentionally wanting to do it. Sometimes it just happens.'
The species don't have dorsal fins, and can easily be overlooked when sitting under the surface, UNSW PhD candidate Jane McPhee-Frew said.
'They don't tend to sit up as high on the water when they breathe. They don't tend to splash around as much, especially when they've got really young calves, they will often cruise just below the water,' she said.
'They're not going deep, they're not going fast. It actually is not hard at all to miss them. So in that regard, you just have to expect them to be there all the time.'
Fines, loss of licence for breaching rules
In NSW, boats must stay a minimum of 100 metres away from whales, but if there is a calf present that distance increases to 300m. Rules around white whales are even stricter, with a 500m distance imposed.
Breaching these regulations can result in significant penalties, with individuals facing on-the-spot fines of $1,320. Commercial operators such as whale watching tours can be fined $3,300.
Ms McPhee-Frew said there are two things boaters should be conscious of during whale season:
'You need to look out for the blow': When whales breathe and blow out a spray of seawater, that's a giveaway that there is a whale just under the surface; and
'Just slow down': This time of year in particular, you have to assume that there are whales along your path.
As well as wearing a lifejacket, she added that it's important that boaters also use a kill cord in case they get thrown overboard. While accidents like this can result in harm to wildlife and humans, it could also lead to a loss of licence. Failing to maintain proper lookout while boating could result in a licence being cancelled or suspended.
Both Dr Pirotta and Ms McPhee-Frew are calling for education on whale safety to be a mandatory component for boat licensing.
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