Between May and November, a unique species awakens from their slumber and moves towards our headlands and out into the open ocean. They are the ‘whale tragics’, those people who just cannot get enough of all things whale. They sit out in the scorching sun and torrential rain, for hours on end, just to get a glimpse of humpbacks as they make their annual migration from their home in Antartica to their breeding grounds in Queensland and back again. And they love every single second of it.
Anthony Crampton
Anthony is a part of the furniture at Bass Point Reserve. If Anthony’s not there, you might as well go home. In fact, he’s one of the first people that those new to whale watching meet when they turn up to Bass Point, as he happily shares tips and tricks on everything from camera settings to where you can expect a whale to show up based on a distant splash that he’s seen. He’s been watching whales since 2010 and as a result has had some jaw-dropping encounters. And he has the images to show for it.
Anthony's a real die-hard, getting up at about 4.30am, preparing lunch and snacks for the long day ahead, checking the weather and, if rain is forecast, not cancelling but rather grabbing a raincoat. As to why he does it, why he spends hours standing outside, staring at the ocean, often without even seeing a whale, Anthony says: "There is really nothing like standing there as a humpback whale swims past, then rolls on her side and looks at you, just some 10+ meters from you. The sound they make is really something you don’t forget, and watching them breach just in front with the calves in tow, these are just awesome creatures and I cannot get enough.”
You can follow Anthony's whale adventures on the Shellharbour Whale and Wildlife Sightings Page on Facebook.
Ivanka Feher
Ivanka is a water baby, with a passion for all things ocean, including snorkelling, diving and fishing. Her baby son’s name, Reef, is testament to that passion. As is his room, which is ocean and whale themed. So when she heads out for a day of watching whales, something she has been doing for over 20 years everywhere from Cape Town to Surfers Paradise, she doesn’t just take her camera – Reef comes along for the experience too.
Ivanka says, “I can't wait for my little boy to experience his first breach to see his reaction.”
Like Anthony, she happily shares sightings with others, saying, "I love sharing sightings with people visiting Bass Point, especially if they have children. The excitement of them experiencing it for the first time is magical in itself, and for sure some of them will become whale tragics."
Follow Photography by Ivanka on Facebook and Instagram
Khynan Gardner
Khynan's the new kid on the block, literally. At only 16, Khynan has already caught the ‘bug’ and travels up from Nowra as often as possible to hang with the Shellharbour crew. He’s only been looking for whales for about two years and discovered the hard way that some spots are better than others, saying: “This year I decided to try Minnamurra Whale Watching Platform. I did see more [than the first year], however, on this day I was there, a post happened in the Shellharbour Whale Watching Group saying there was some Southern Right Whales at Bass Point. So immediately I said to my dad ‘We have to go to Bass Point’. So we went to Bass Point and wow these whales were so close!”
Seeing the endangered southern rights as one of your first whales is pretty impressive and Khynan was understandably hooked. Not only had he caught the whale watching bug, but he also caught the photography bug too and has had his dad drive him the 40 minutes up the coast each day of the holidays! Part of the attraction is the wildness of the animals, with Khynan explaining, "The best part about the whales is that you never know what you are going to get, so every time I go is different."
You can follow Khynan’s new wildlife photography page on Facebook.
Margaret Craig
Margaret lives on the South Coast so isn't part of the Shellharbour crew, but she is testament to the link that exists between the whale tragics up and down the coast. There's a bit of a 'telephone' approach to whale watching that social media has been especially good for. Sightings are posted on people's pages and word gets out. People know when the whales are on their way up due to posts such as Marg's and it's especially helpful to let people to know to be on the lookout for special sightings such as the southern rights or entangled animals.
Margaret is a true whale tragic, explaining: "It's like an obsession, I guess. They always give me a sense of awe and because once they've finished their migration, we have to wait another year." And to prove just how obsessed she is, Margaret disappears for a while during our chat. She had heard that a whale was making its way past and she wasn't going to miss it!
Margaret has never been much of a fan of boats, with the thought of sea sickness keeping her on dry land. However, the opportunity to get out amongst the whales at Burnett Heads on a recent Queensland trip proved too good to refuse. And the experience turned out to be an incredible one. "We were caught up in a feeding frenzy. There was a ball of baitfish under the hull of the catamaran which attracted the whales. Best trip! That was the best thing I've witnessed ... to see all the baleen in their mouths and even though they were so into feeding, they were gentle around the boat. I not once felt scared. Something I've never seen from a headland."
You can follow Margaret for all things wildlife at Marg Craig Photography on Facebook.
The rewards of Citizen Science
Whale watchers really do assist marine researchers and, in turn, the whales themselves, by documenting fluke patterns on sites such as happywhale.com and sightings with the team at Marine Mammal Sightings Australia. More eyes on the ocean means more data for the scientists. I think we can all agree, there's nothing tragic about that.
If you're keen to see what all the fuss is about, humpback whales will be continuing their migration back down the coast until about early November.