I surf quite regularly in the waters off Botany National Park and Boat Harbour, and I have seen my fair share of wildlife. In the last few months I’ve seen a fully grown buck (male deer), seals, penguins, red-belly black snakes, turtles, dolphins and – regrettably – one tiger shark. But the most spectacular life experience I think I’ve had to date was with two whales. As we check the surf, we watched two whales breaching for at least half an hour just outside Bate Bay. Once we entered the water, within half an hour the two whales were less than 50 metres from where we were surfing, spouting water and rolling their giant fins and tails in the air. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time to see such gentle giants cruise past completely unphased by our presence.
It would appear then that whale season is upon us! Every winter hundreds of whales hug the NSW coastline as they migrate north to breed. Late May through to early August is the best time to catch a glimpse of nature’s giants as the water temperatures start to decline.
Botany Bay National Park is running a whale watching shuttle service during the migration season. This service will take you from the main car park (just inside the entrance to the National Park) all the way out to Cape Solander, where you can watch the whales track north to breed. The service is free and runs every weekend from 11am – 4pm. For more information on the National Park’s whale watching activities, check their newly created website. For a map of where to sight whales in Sydney – see here.
Alternatively, Club O2 is running a whale-watching walking tour through the National Park. You’ll receive a guided tour along the 14km coastal track from Jibbon Beach down to Marley, as well as a hearty lunch and ferry fares. It’s a great way to get fit and enjoy the view at the same time. Prices start from $70 and the walk takes around 8 hours. Check out Club O2 online for more details.
Photo by Kate Gray taken from Wild About Whales
{ 1 trackback }