Rare Whale Sighting Turns to Shock as Boat Slams into Endangered Calf

Strategic Insights -

A self-described weekend warrior spent his days off tracking a mother and calf southern right whales, hoping to capture footage for his Instagram page. The whales were spotted off Stanwell Park Beach on Saturday, July 19, and were being monitored closely by the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) after a boat strike. The rare encounter turned to shock as a boat slammed into the two-week-old calf, which was just below the surface with its mother.

Key Takeaways:

  • The southern right whale calf was just two weeks old when it was struck by a boat off Stanwell Park Beach.
  • The mother and calf had been traveling up the coast after they were spotted off Merimbula on July 10, where the mother had injuries from a previous boat strike.
  • ORRCA has been monitoring the pair closely since the accident and has spotted them off Sydney, where they are showing no signs of distress.
  • The southern right whale species is endangered and vulnerable to boat strikes due to their habit of "logging" in shallow water, making them hard to spot.
  • Matthew Hatte, the whale watcher who captured the footage, has been a passionate volunteer for ORRCA and spends his days off tracking whales and hoping to capture footage for his Instagram page.
  • The southern right whale species has an estimated 250-300 individuals off Australia's east coast, with a total of 3500-5000 that migrate around the country.

Statistics:

  • The southern right whale calf was two weeks old when it was struck by the boat.
  • The pair has been spotted off Sydney since the accident.
  • ORRCA has been monitoring the pair closely since the accident.
  • The southern right whale species is endangered, with an estimated 250-300 individuals off Australia's east coast.
  • They are more susceptible to boat strikes due to their habit of "logging" in shallow water.

Sources:

  • Nadine Morton, "Rare whale sighting turns to shock as boat slams into endangered calf," (no date)
  • ORRCA spokeswoman Pip Jacobs
  • Matthew Hatte, whale watcher and ORRCA volunteer