Even though whaling was present in some shape or form earlier on, it was not until well into the 18th century that whaling went full throttle around Australia’s waters and Tasmania. Whale processing plants sprouted and this made it one of the first forms of large scale industry in Australia.
Whales were hunted not only for meat but for whale oil too. Whale oil was used for making candles, lamp oil and as base for soaps and perfumes. Whaling was initially done using small to medium sized fishing boats before the catch was taken ashore for final processing and distribution. One of the most popular whales for hunters was the slow-moving south right whale.
Between the 18th and 19th century when immigration to Australia skyrocketed, so many whales had been killed that there was a real risk of extinction of a number of whale species. The extensive nature of the whaling had started to affect the species’ breeding cycles. The Australian government had to step in and put in place measures to protect both the south right and the hump back whale. An international treaty that sought to cease whaling in the waters of the region was signed by several stakeholder countries in 1978.
Even though the treaty managed to inhibit blatant whaling to a large extent, it did not succeed in completely wiping out the practice. Whaling still takes place to date thanks to a loop hole that allows whaling for purposes of research. On the bright side, the humpback whale that had been hunted to the brink of extinction is now slowly recovering with numbers slowly moving up. Other endangered species that are also seeing some form of recovery include the bowhead whale and the blue whale.
Whales have a distinct migration pattern informed by the seasons and breeding patterns. Most whales will spend the summer months in the cool waters of Antarctica where there is an abundance of their staple food – krill. As the winter starts to set in, the whales migrate northwards to the warmer waters of the tropics and sub tropics.
It is these warmer waters that the whales will usually mate and give birth before they start the journey back south during the spring. Knowing these patterns is important if you wish to see whales off the coast of Australia. The best time to see whales in Australian waters is from June and October.
The whale’s long distance migratory behavior is in contrast to that of its smaller cousin – the dolphin. Dolphins can also be found off Australia’s waters but do not demonstrate such strong migratory instincts. They can stay in the same area their entire lives. Of course this is an advantage for dolphin watchers in Australia since there is an almost equal chance of seeing a dolphin any time of the year.
If you are interested in watching whales in that June-October window, the two things you will need are a boat (or aircraft if you have bigger budget) and binoculars. There is however a rule when whale watching – there can be no more than 3 boats in the whale’s vicinity. This is done in order to minimize disruption to the animal’s environment.
Back to the Australian animals overview
References:
http://www.abc.net.au/oceans/whale/spot.htm
http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/human/whaling.htm
