Whales head north for the Boat watching season

by John Curnow on 27 Mar 2016 I’m absolutely not going to lay claim to the phrase. It is insanely apt and hilarious, all at the same time, however. Well then, boat watching season is definitely upon us once more. The whales will soon be gathering again off the coast of Queensland to observe all manner of cruising and racing craft as they head North for a Winter in the sun.

The old yarn about two boats heading in the same direction comes to mind about now. During a delivery to Mackay, a boat came up over the horizon astern of us. We scrambled around to find the kite, which was buried way down in the lazarette, and subsequently the race was on. I saw all this stuff, now up on deck in the sun, and if there were any questions as to why the performance of the 44-foot vessel was so stunted, well they totally evaporated like the cold cans presented to you at Constitution Dock.

Anyway, as it turns out, not too far North of Yeppoon the whales came out to see what all the fuss was about. They had been watching for a little while, but when they came up for air it was certainly time to get the sails on the deck, fire the iron topsail and do what you must do in that part of the world. Check out the whales checking out you! All the while observing the appropriate rules and regulations as to distance and manoeuvring, etc.

Up North amongst the world-renowned and heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, some 30 species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) use the area as their breeding grounds from May to September. One of the most famous is the Humpback, of which around 7000 make the epic journey from Antarctica. It is thought there are around 10,000 all together, which is a bit under half the pre-whaling numbers, but seeing as they got down to just a few hundred, it is a good start. Other species include dwarf Minkes, short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales, false killer whales, killer whales and various beaked whales.

Bottlenose dolphins are among the most commonly sighted, but there are also Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Australian snubfin dolphins, spinner dolphins, and pan-tropical spotted dolphins. Note to boaters of all kinds, not all dolphins love to play in your bow wave, so never chase them, nor get between whale mothers and calves. Equally, if you observe a sudden change in behaviour, then move away immediately, but slowly and carefully. To investigate all the requirements within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park a bit further, please check out - http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/visit-the-reef/responsible-reef-practices/caring-for-the-reef

One Skipper recently recounted a story to me from back in the day when the first leg was known as the Sydney to Southport. They were in close and running beaches to avoid the significant Southerly flow and three times he wanted to tack, but the crew on the rail quickly yelled no. The reason was a large mammal and he told me that the whales considered the headlands as their best vantage points for boat watching. In that and subsequent races, he would often be forced to run the Diesel (yes, in neutral) to give a sound signal to our marine friends, especially so at night.

At any rate, boat watching season starts with the Sydney to Gold Coast run on July 30 and then shortly after that there is RQ’s Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race on August 5. Airlie Beach Race Week (11-18 August), Hammo (20-27 August) and Magnetic Island (1-6 September) all follow. The B2K is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, as too for Magnetic Island, whereas Hammo has been around since 1984 and Airlie has its origins dating back to 1990.

Now the fleet heads North in the predominantly Sou’East Trades that blow at the time, but the Nor’easters, which are perfect for the return run South are not really established until mid September. Early in the piece, owners would leave the boats for at least a month after Hamilton Island Race Week and then return with a fresh crew to head back. Nowadays, hanging North until post Magnetic Island Race Week at least makes the Southern passage much more enjoyable.

A lot of talk about regattas I hear you say. True, but evaluate this. Now whilst the regattas are oft though of as the bastion of racing, the big fleet numbers are with the cruisers, who do scenic passage courses and the like. Indeed many cruisers spend several months going on the full return trip. Little wonder when you consider that it is considered by nearly all as the most terrific cruising area the Great Southern Land has to offer.

So there it is. Ultimately the whales watch the boats begin to head South in readiness for Summer.