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Blue Whale

Blue whales feed in the cool waters upwelling off southern Australia between Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight between November and May.

This time of year typically has strong and persistent south-easterly winds drives a surface current parallel with the coast. The Coriolis effect from the earth’s rotation causes this surface current to drift left, away from the coast, pulling colder, oxygen and nutrient rich water that originated deep in the Southern Ocean.

This phenomenon is known as the Great Southern Australian Upwelling System and is most prominent where the Australian continental shelf is the narrowest between Warrnambool and Robe (SA). The cool, nutrient rich water is exposed to sunlight and becomes available to phytoplankton, which in turn becomes food for krill – the blue whales staple tucker.

Southern Right Whale

Southern right whales come to Warrnambool and Portland from the Southern Ocean every year to give birth. The sheltered bays of the Shipwreck Coast provide excellent shelter for calving. They’re easy to spot as they stay relatively close to shore and surface often. They were named ‘right’ whales due to their slow speed and visibility, making them easy to hunt. Southern right whales start arriving in June and stay until September.

Orca

The killer whale, or orca, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Orcas have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialise in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and other species of dolphin. Orcas are apex predators, as no animal preys on them. They can be found in each of the world’s oceans in a variety of marine environments.

Orcas are highly social. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviours, which are passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of animal culture.

Wild Orcas are not considered a threat to humans and no fatal attack on humans has ever been documented, but there have been cases of captive orcas killing or injuring their handlers at marine theme parks. Orcas feature strongly in the mythologies of indigenous cultures, and their reputation in different cultures ranges from being the souls of humans to merciless killers

Sperm Whale

The sperm whale or cachalot is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator.

The sperm whale will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season. Females give birth every four to 20 years. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators.

Mature males may reach 20.7 metres (68 ft), with the head representing up to one-third of the animal’s length. Plunging to 2,250 metres (7,382 ft), it is the third deepest diving mammal.