Latest news with #whale
News.com.au
a day ago
- General
- News.com.au
Baby whale struck by boat off NSW coast
Extraordinary drone footage has captured the moment a boat hits a baby whale off the coast of NSW. Content creator Michael Hatte was tracking two southern right whales – a mother and calf – as they migrated north past the Illawarra region on Saturday. His footage, taken at Stanwell Park, shows the calf swimming behind its mother when a small boat carrying three people comes into view. The boat drives straight over the calf, with the impact knocking the vessel's three occupants off their feet. 'I had already stopped filming but could see the boat heading straight for the pair that were just below the surface,' Mr Hatte, who gave permission to use his video, wrote. 'I pressed record and captured the whole event, which is literally 3 seconds long. 'Bub moving it's head just at the right time, impact could have been devastating!' Mr Hatte had been whale watching with his wife and called the organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA) to report the incident. 'Followed bub for as long as I could, no signs of injury and actually went back to feeding and playing with Seaweed not long after in some very shallow water,' he wrote on social media. Whales are protected under NSW laws and boats must stay 100m away from adult whales and 300m away when calves are present. For jetskis it's 300m at all times. ORRCA had been tracking the duo as they moved along the NSW coastline, and believed the older whale was also hit by a boat near Merimbula on the South Coast earlier this month. In a post on its Facebook on Saturday, ORRCA said the mother 'carries a vessel strike injury on her flank, likely caused by a boat propeller'. 'With her injury, this mother is already facing additional challenges, making it even more important that she and her calf are given space & quiet as they travel. 'Southern Right Whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference.' Its spokesperson, Pip Jacobs, told the ABC the baby appeared to have recovered and the two whales were seen in Sydney Harbour on Sunday. 'Vessel strikes can be fatal … but we're pleased to confirm that mum and baby seem to be doing well,' she said. 'These whales are particularly difficult to spot from the water, so they're often in the way of boats who don't know they're there. 'We know no one wants to hit a whale.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Endangered whale calf hit by boat in shocking drone footage: 'Absolutely horrific'
Heartstopping drone footage has captured the moment a speedboat struck an endangered whale calf off the NSW coast, clipping the animal's back and throwing the occupants of the boat forward. The incident has sparked a renewed call for boaters to stay alert during whale season, as researchers track the calf's migration north. 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. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
a day ago
- General
- ABC News
Southern right whale calf hit by boat at Stanwell Park, NSW
A whale calf has been struck by a boat off the New South Wales South Coast weeks after its mother was hit by another vessel. Video of the incident shows the southern right whale, which was with its mother, being hit by a small boat off Stanwell Park. The impact of the collision knocked the three occupants of the boat off their feet. Directly after the strike the calf can be seen diving deeper into the water to rest near its mother. Michael Hatte, who filmed the incident, said he and his wife were observing the whales with a drone from the regulation 100-metre distance. "I was absolutely shocked, I froze," he said. The Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA), NSW Parks and Wildlife Service and members of the Right Whale ID program have been tracking the pair as they migrate north. Mr Hatte continued to observe the calf for about five minutes after the incident and said it appeared to have escaped injury. "The calf seemed fine. It didn't show signs of stress," he said. "It went back beneath mum and was playing with seaweed again on the surface, so it looked totally unscathed." ORRCA spokesperson Pip Jacobs said the whales were seen breaching in Sydney Harbour yesterday. "Vessel strikes can be fatal … but we're pleased to confirm that mum and baby seem to be doing well," she said. The southern right whale is an endangered species. Between 250 and 300 individuals have been identified along the east coast, and larger populations along the West Coast. The baby's mother sustained an injury from a vessel strike near Merimbula in July. A southern right whale calf is believed to have died after being hit by a boat near Coffs Harbour earlier this year. Ms Jacobs said the whales were vulnerable to boat strikes because they entered very shallow water and lacked a dorsal fin. "These whales are particularly difficult to spot from the water, so they're often in the way of boats who don't know they're there," she said. Ms Jacobs said boat users should be aware that the whales are in their migration season through to the end of August. Boats must stay 100m from an adult and 300m from a calf. Drones must maintain a height of at least 100m. Ms Jacobs said the mother and baby looked as if they had recovered from their hardships. "This pair has faced extraordinary challenges on their journey so far, but they appear to be doing well, which is not only great news for them but their species as well," she said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE Surges 14% as Open Interest, Treasury Bets Power Breakout Above 22 Cents
Dogecoin climbed from $0.21 to $0.24 during a volatile 24-hour session ending July 18 at 06:00 UTC, posting a 14.02% gain with a $0.04 range reflecting 17.6% volatility. The move was led by intensified whale buying, institutional inflows, and aggressive memecoin sector expansion. Market Summary • DOGE rallied 14.02% from $0.21 to $0.24 between July 17 07:00 and July 18 06:00 UTC, posting a $0.04 range with 17.6% volatility • Whale accumulation surpassed 1.2 billion DOGE in 48 hours, triggering breakout above $0.22 resistance at 21:00 UTC • Trading volumes peaked at 752.69 million during breakout phase, exceeding the 24-hour average of 698.42 million • Open interest rose 12.36% to $4.04 billion, with funding rates stable and long bias intensifying • Bit Origin secured $500 million in equity and debt to build DOGE-focused treasury operations Price Action Overview The rally accelerated after DOGE broke through $0.22 resistance at 21:00 UTC on July 17, triggering a wave of long interest and algorithmic inflows. Volumes spiked 7.8% above the session average as price surged from $0.22 to $0.24. That breakout created new high-volume support at $0.22–$0.225. In the final 60 minutes (July 18 05:36–06:35 UTC), DOGE whipsawed between $0.236 and $0.24 in a 1.67% trading range. Price briefly fell under selling pressure before recovering sharply to session highs — a classic profit-taking trap followed by institutional dip-buying. Technical Indicators • Open interest: $4.04 billion (+12.36%) across major exchanges, suggesting strong directional positioning • Whale inflows: 1.2B DOGE accumulated since July 16, per on-chain data from WhaleTrace • Support zones: $0.22–$0.225 (post-breakout high-volume consolidation) • Resistance zones: $0.245–$0.248 (previous multi-session highs) • Final hour volatility: 1.67% intraday swing with rapid reversals between $0.236–$0.24 Sector Momentum DOGE's rally helped lift the total memecoin market cap to $72 billion, up $17 billion in July. With Bit Origin's treasury plans and elevated open interest, analysts say DOGE could test the $0.26–$0.28 band next.(Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.) Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Looking to spot a whale this summer? An expert has tips
Whether in a boat or on the shore, there's nothing like the thrill of seeing a whale in the water. Marine biologist Laura Lilly — who also runs a Facebook page where people can share their whale sightings, capelin and icebergs — has some tips on how to make the most of your time when looking for elusive North Atlantic animals.
