Latest news with #26thAnnualWhaleCensus
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ‘crème de la crème' of humpback whale photos
These images, by Sydney Morning Herald photo editor Danielle Smith, capture the 'crème de la crème' of humpback whale sightings – a double breach – says marine biologist Dr Vanessa Pirotta. 'For two giant school bus-sized, blubbery whales, sometimes the weight of 40,000 kilograms, to have a coordinated jump at the same time ... is just fabulous' she said. 'We don't exactly know why they do it, but it most likely serves as a form of communication,' said Pirotta of the movement, often likened to dancing, which sees whales jump out of the water. 'The humpback whale really does get the reputation of being the most acrobatic marine animal because when they jump, you never know when it's going to happen. And sometimes they literally will put on a show for people viewing them, and it's a spectacular one.' Marine mammal rescue charity the Organisation for Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said there had been a record number of whale sightings this year, with almost 6000 humpbacks spotted on the 26th Annual Whale Census on June 29. Pirotta said this number may include repeat counts of the same whale, but praised the work of members of the public who report sightings. 'We as scientists rely on citizen scientists and non-scientists to do a lot of our observations because the Australian coastline is so large, and we are now connected more than ever thanks to social media.' The images were taken off the coast of Lennox Head in northern NSW during a whale watching expedition with local tour boat operator Out Of The Blue Adventures.
The Age
3 days ago
- Science
- The Age
The ‘crème de la crème' of humpback whale photos
These images, by Sydney Morning Herald photo editor Danielle Smith, capture the 'crème de la crème' of humpback whale sightings – a double breach – says marine biologist Dr Vanessa Pirotta. 'For two giant school bus-sized, blubbery whales, sometimes the weight of 40,000 kilograms, to have a coordinated jump at the same time ... is just fabulous' she said. 'We don't exactly know why they do it, but it most likely serves as a form of communication,' said Pirotta of the movement, often likened to dancing, which sees whales jump out of the water. 'The humpback whale really does get the reputation of being the most acrobatic marine animal because when they jump, you never know when it's going to happen. And sometimes they literally will put on a show for people viewing them, and it's a spectacular one.' Marine mammal rescue charity the Organisation for Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said there had been a record number of whale sightings this year, with almost 6000 humpbacks spotted on the 26th Annual Whale Census on June 29. Pirotta said this number may include repeat counts of the same whale, but praised the work of members of the public who report sightings. 'We as scientists rely on citizen scientists and non-scientists to do a lot of our observations because the Australian coastline is so large, and we are now connected more than ever thanks to social media.' The images were taken off the coast of Lennox Head in northern NSW during a whale watching expedition with local tour boat operator Out Of The Blue Adventures.
