giants of the sea

The weather improved and on Friday we managed to book a trip from Dunsborough on the Geographe Bay to look for humpbacked whales which are on their way back to Antarctica to feed after breeding.

It is surprising just how difficult it is to photograph such enormous animals, they really do move quickly! We followed several groups for a couple of hours and they are truly awesome creatures. To be close enough to watch them and hear them was a privilege.

The Humpback whales that visit Australia's coastal waters spend their summer months feeding in the Antarctic. With the onset of the southern hemisphere winter the Humpbacks migrate an average of 2,500km from polar waters to their tropical breeding grounds, undertaking some of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom.Whereas most migrating whales avoid land masses, the Humpbacks follow the coastline reasonably close to shore, which makes them an ideal species for whale watching and rendered them an especially vulnerable species in the days of whaling.

From trek phase 4

From trek phase 4

From trek phase 4

From trek phase 4

From trek phase 4

The following day we drove to the point of the bay and watched them from the viewing platform on the cliff.We could have stayed there for weeks.

The south west area of WA has got everything- rolling hills, green lush pastures, wine regions, great towns and fabulous coasts. Has definitely made the shortlist of desirable places to live, the only downside being that it is so far away from the rest of the country. There is a feeling about WA that it is a separate country that by some bizarre anomaly is accidentally attached to the rest of Australia.