Get out your binoculars, the whales are on the move early and this means that whale-watching season is just around the corner.
Spotted by EP Cruises, the operators of Fowlers Bay Whale Tours, humpback whales have started moving up the coast of the Eyre Peninsula. According to Rod Keough at EP Cruises Fowlers Bay, the southern right whales may not be far behind.
Keough explains that generally, migration runs on a five-year cycle, meaning that according to the cycle, we may be in for one of the best watching seasons in a while. “You never want to jinx yourself though,” Keough laughs. “In our season five years ago, I was spotting about sixty southern right whales every day during peak season.”
The season, typically running from July to September is when the Eyre Peninsula becomes the whale’s playground. Giving onlookers a spectacular show as they frolic in the waters off the South Australian coastal line.
Southern right whales use the area to birth and rear their young, so the chance of spotting a mother and calf is higher than in other places across the state.
EP Cruises runs dedicated whale-watching cruises between July and September. While sightings are never guaranteed, they are the best chance that visitors must not only have the most chance at getting up close with the whales but also bottlenose dolphins, Australian sea lions and long nose fur seals.
The touring company has also been vigilant in updating its followers on social media with whale activity. In previous years, they have also been going live on Facebook with “Whale TV” keeping eager whale watchers up to date throughout the season.
According to reports coming in from eager whale watchers, humpback whale sightings have already been happening from Glenelg and Bashams Beach.
If it is southern right whales you are wanting to spot, Keough says that Fowlers Bay is the place to be.
“We have one of the best locations in the world to see them.”
To find out more about EP Cruises, head to their website.
For whale sighting updates, follow the EP Cruises Facebook page.
