We are now approaching peak time for Whale Watching – end of August on wards is premium time. This is when we see much more interaction and antics. They are usually in a lot closer as well so you get to spend more time with them. That’s not to say that all whales want to “play” and put on a show for us so we do have to find some that are interested in us and Crusader 1.
Some more interesting Mating Habits of the Humpback Whale: –
- Whales reach sexual maturity by the age of 7 – 8 but do not become sexually active until about 5 more years later.
- They have calves every two or three years but some have calves every year.
- Amazingly enough, Humpbacks don’t eat anything during the breeding season.
- Humpback Whales are not monogamous – they have numerous partners during each breeding season.
- Humpback Whales have never been observed mating but they have been seen engaged in affectionate and “seductive behaviour.
- A males foreplay is blowing “bubbles that will rise beneath the genital of the female”
- You can usually identify male humpback whales by their battle scars. These are a result of fierce competition among males for ovulating females.
- Female Humpback Whales normally get pregnant in the warm waters and return the following year to give birth.
- Giving birth to their calf is usually done along the Eastern Australian coastline was the waters are warm and the calf would not survive the freezing waters of the Antarctic.
- Once the female has given birth she can become immediately pregnant again.
- About 80% of mother and calf pods have a male escort but for how long, we don’t know as the mother is usually lactating and not a potential mate at that stage.
- The males are not interested in raising the young.
- Females rarely interact with one another in the breeding area.
- It is thought that the female chooses a particular male but we don’t know what attributed females prefer
Join us for a glimpse of these magnificent animals and learn more about their behaviour.
Call Paddy on 0412 155 814 or jump onto our website to book.
