The 2022 Gold Coast whale watching season has come to a finish and what a fantastic season it was!
Sea World Cruises has crunched the numbers with resident onboard whale researcher and visiting scholar from Griffith University, Laura Torre-Williams, and is excited to share the findings of the 2022 Gold Coast season. This season saw a 46 per cent increase in humpback whales in 2022 compared to the 2021 season, with a total of 2,072 adults and 231 calves.
The reason for this large increase is partly due to the reopening of international and domestic borders that have welcomed visitors back to the Gold Coast, and the growing number of whales. Researchers estimate there are currently 40,000 individuals in the east coast humpback whale population.
The first newborn recorded in the Gold Coast Bay was coincidentally born the same day as the previous season! There was an increase in sightings of calves born on the Gold Coast, even though the region is not typically known as a birthing ground. Torre-Williams believes this could be due to the warming of oceans and the shallow waters of the bay, making for the perfect shelter for mum and bub.
Talking adorable calves, there has been an increase in ‘whale creches’, a term coined by researchers that describes when mothers with their two-three-month-olds meet up and socialise.
At the beginning of the season, Sea World Cruises observed more yearlings, a young whale who has only just been weaned from its mother, than in the 2021 season. Typically, young whales stick with their mothers for their first migration. The typical pattern of whales on their migration was consistent with previous years, with juveniles and sub-adults arriving first and pregnant females the last to arrive in the bay.
There were plenty of close approaches to the vessel over the season. Humpback whales are showing their curiosity about the boats and dolphins riding the bow of the vessel. A highlight for Torre-Williams was when three humpbacks chose to inspect the vessel for an extended period, blocking the boat from moving. The engines were turned off and passengers enjoyed watching the whales getting up close and personal.
There was a total of 15 whale entanglement rescues on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. These rescue missions involve a lot of training, precision and time, and thankfully the experienced team at Sea World Foundation were able to assist in many of these operations.
Sea World Cruises is already counting the days until the whales return in May 2023 for another spectacular season of whale watching.
Sea World Cruises is a multi-award-winning Gold Coast marine tourism operator, and offer a variety of sightseeing and dining cruise. For more information, see their website at https://seaworldcruises.com.au.
