Amazing news from Parks Vic from nearby Inverloch:
Last Friday Wonthaggi Rangers Clare Gibson and Craig Hollins and some Inverloch locals got a rare treat when a mother whale delivered her calf close to the shore.Clare says she wasn’t really prepared for what they saw when they respondedto news that a whale appeared to be in distress and that it hadn’t moved much and was possibly stranded.
When they arrived at about 2:00pm the whale seemed fine and a quick look through the binoculars showed that there was not one but two whales: a mum and a baby! There was quite a crowd watching her, and apparently the whale had been there since 8:30am.Onlookers said the whale had been thrashing in the water, breathing quite fast, and staying in the one spot for hours and it was deduced that, given there was now a very small second whale, it was likely she had come in to give birth.When Clare and Craig arrived the whale was swimming in a small area around the bay with the calf staying very close to her side. Her breathing and swimming patterns looked regular, and she generally looked in good condition. Then they went to talk with all of the adults and children who had been watching and let them have a look through their binoculars and scope to get a better view. Some locals said it had been 15 years since they saw a whale so close in the area.
Local Jacqui Haysom sent us these pictures of the whale out at sea. She said “Here are some gorgeous pics of the mother whale that delivered her calf at Inverloch this morning; was the most magical sight ever, and something that our children will never forget, with kids galore on the beach to see it.”