Watching Whales from the Land – Blythedale Coastal Estate serves up a treat
Whale watchers were served a full-on-feast. Looking out over the ocean from the Event Bowl, more than 70 magnificent mammals could be seen blowing, breaching, and splashing during the Toyota Warrior Race.
Held in mid-August, the event took place at the peak of whale watching season on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. The intensity of whale activity forced the lifting of the shark nets along the Dolphin Coast at Clarke Bay, Thompson’s Bay and Blythedale Beach two weeks later.
From mid-May to mid-September, numerous humpback and fewer southern right whales migrate north along the coastline. They move from their feeding grounds in the nutrient-rich waters of the Antarctic to their warmer feeding and breeding grounds off the coast of Mozambique. Between September and December they can be seen making the return journey south.
The more frequently-sighted species, the humpback whale, is approximately 15m in length and generally weighs around 30 tons. They are typically black on top and white underneath. Humpback Whales can also be identified by their distinctive long, narrow flippers. They perform spectacular ‘breaches’ – a natural behaviour in which they leap out of the water with an arching back before crashing back down with a splash. Breaching is thought to have a number of purposes including communication or to remove parasites. Keep an eye out for splashes as whales usually breach several times in succession.
The less-frequently sighted southern right whale is also usually approximately 15m, but heavier at between 50 and 60 tons. This whale does not have a dorsal fin and is often covered in war- like growths.
Both species exhibit distinctive behaviours that can be easily observed from the land. These include ‘blowing’ when the expulsion of breath causes a spray of water into the air. ‘Lobtailing’ is when the whale slaps the flukes of the tail on the surface of the water and ‘spy hopping’ which involves lifting the body out of the water to the height of the flippers in order to get a view of the surrounding area.
There has been a marked increase in the whale population along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline since whaling was officially banned in 1975. The Durban whaling industry started in 1907 when the Norwegian Consul in Durban, Jacob Egeland, and his partner Johan Bryde, set up the South African Whaling Company and brought two whaling ships out from Norway. Whale hunting started a year later in 1908 when a staggering 106 were caught and killed during that first year.
The viewing deck at Blythedale Coastal Estate is a phenomenal platform from which to watch whales and dolphins. With a 180 degree view, pods of dolphins routinely patrol up and down the coast just beyond the breakers and migrating whales are a common sight. Whale viewing is prolific between August and November but also keep an eye out at certain times of the year for graceful manta rays.
During periods of heightened whale activity, shark nets are lifted to prevent damage to the nets and to save whales from entrapment. If you see what you think could be a trapped whale, you can report it to the Sharks Board on 031-5660400.
