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Eden Whale Watching


Whale Watching
Daily Report Saturday November 12, 2011 CAT BALOU had the first whales shortly after leaving on their whale watching cruise with a mother & calf in Twofold Bay. They were fairly quiet so we head south and picked up two more pods just south of South Head One pod consisted of three adults whilst a mother, calf and escort were cruising very close to shore. We had some close encounters with both pods and good flukes. We later found a Type 3 mother & calf and ended the morning with another two adults near North Head with one animal breaching close to us. We put the hydrophone overboard twice throughout the morning but no singing was heard. Several seals were seen during the trip and we had four hauled out on the breakwall rocks. Sunday November 13, 2001 One of our passengers was the first person to spot whales today aboard CAT BALOU with a mother & calf found just outside Twofold Bay. These were good whales to watch spending quite a bit of time on the surface and we had some very close encounters from them. The mother was a Type 2 Humpback which made seeing her underwater easy with her white sides. With the NE wind picking up we headed north finding another mother & calf east of Eden. They had 10 minute down times but we saw some nice flukes from them. Off The Pinnacles we picked up Bottlenose Dolphins which our passengers loved as they swam beside and in front of CAT BALOU in the pristine water. While we were watching them we spotted another mother & calf which we followed south. On the return trip we picked up Common Dolphins which escorted us for some time. The seals at the breakwall were seen as we departed and also as we returned to the Eden wharf. Monday November 14, 2011 Today was a breaching whale day at Eden. Within 10 minutes of leaving the Eden wharf our passengers had seen seals, Common Dolphins and breaching whales - what a start to a day! There was a mother & calf towards Whale Beach and the calf was full of engery, breaching a number of times and playing with a large pod of Common Dolphins. We spent an hour with them as they slowly headed to South Head. A mile outside North Head we encountered another two pods of breaching whales and also saw a mother pec slapping and a calf spy hopping. The NE wind picked up during the morning so we headed back into Twofold Bay, picking up more dolphins. Tuesday November 15, 2011 A SW chang e overnight had flattened the swell from yesterday and CAT BALOU began the morning sighting a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins in Twofold Bay and later a pod of Common Dolphins. Off Leonards Island the first pod of whales spotted - a mother & calf. To the north there were several more mother/calf pods and although fairly quiet we had some close encounters with several pods. Later we picked up more Common Dolphins and a pod of two adults. The last whales seen were just east of Twofold Bay where we spotted a pec slapping calf. This baby began tail slapping and swam right under the boat at one stage, finishing the morning on a high note. Only one seal was seen on the breakwall today. Wednesday November 16, 2011 CAT BALOU began their day sighting a pod of Common Dolphins near the heads of Twofold Bay. While we were watching the dolphins we spotted our first whales which was a mother/calf pod. The mother gave some good flukes as they very slowly headed south. Towards North Head we found our second mother/calf pod and had a very close encounter with the inquisitive calf. Off The Pinnacles we found another three pods and the highlight of the trip was when we saw two breaches from an adult. A coach group in the afternoon on a bay cruise were thrilled to see two mother/calf pods travelling together just outside Twofold Bay. There were not as many seals at the breakwall today as we have been seeing in recent weeks. Thursday November 17, 2011 Before CAT BALOU departed the Eden wharf this morning, our passenegrs had seen two seals swimming around th Co-op jetty and dolphins swimming past the wharves. We picked up about 20 Bottlenose dolphins at the end of the breakwall and took them for a ride. With no whales seen in Twofold Bay we headed north and off The Pinnacles found Common Dolphins and a mother & calf Humpback. This pair were quiet so we left them in peace and headed further north. We had spotted a pod off Pambula Beach which we were heading to when a pod of three - a mother, calf and escort appeared. We followed this trio for over an hour as they were on the surface all the time, cruising slowly south in the calm water with the escort frequently fluking up. On the return trip we spotted Little Penguins and two more pods of Common Dolphins. Friday November 18, 2011 CAT BALOU owners had spotted two pods of whales in Twofold Bay before the cruise departed. As we headed across the bay we could see one of these pods towards South Head. We watched this mother & calf for some time and to the south more blows were seen. With the wind picking up from the NE we opted to leave the whales and head north and this move paid off. It wasn't long before we picked up over 100 Common Dolphins near the heads which our passengers loved. Near Leonards Island we found two mother/calf pods together and what fantastic whales they were. It was an action packed morning with both calves peduncle throwing, one giving some spy hops and lots and lots of breaching! One of the mothers kept fluking up, however the other was more modest, not showing hers. The pods split and as we were about to leave one of the mothers decided it was time for her to show the calf how she could breach and head lunge. What a show we had and they were still performing as we headed home. Saturday November 19, 2011 Today was the first morning this year that CAT BALOU did not see any whales. The weather was the main reason as we had to contend with thick fog reducing visibility to a couple of hundred metres at times. Also we had rough conditions on the water with the NE swell from yesterday Taking into consideration the safety and comfort of passengers we ended up cutting the trip short and giving passengers a full refund with some able to return tomorrow. We did however have a great encounter with Common Dolphins in Twofold Bay and a lone Bottlenose Dolphin at the breakwall as we returned. Sunday November 20, 2011 Despite covering a large area today looking for whales CAT BALOU did not see any. We managed to find a couple of pods of Common Dolphins, seals and Little Penguins which our passengers enjoyed. Monday November 21, 2011 CAT BALOU began the morning finding a large pod of Common Dolphins in Twofold Bay. We stayed with them for some time as they enjoyed playing with the boat. As we had reports of whales to the north we headed that way finding two more pods of dolphins and lots of Little Penguins as well as seeing some Australian Fur Seals. We joined True Blue and watched a mother & calf with the calf breaching not long after we arrived, however they were content in slowly heading south in the sunny, calm conditions. Having seen some active whales to the south we went in search of them, but they went quiet and we could not find them. In the area that we thought they were we put the hydrophone overboard and picked up a singing Humpback quite clearly. A couple more pods of Dolphins were seen on the trip home and as we were almost home we came across another mother/calf pod not far off the Eden Lookout. Wednesday November 23, 2011 CAT BALOU were not whale watching yesterday and stayed within Twofold Bay with coach groups, however they were back out looking for whales today. With nothing seen from shore before departing we opted to head north and for some time it was not looking promising as we, as well as other vessels out on the water hadn't seen any whales. The Common Dolphins kept passengers amused while we scanned the water between Eden & Merimbula and just as we had turned to head back towards Eden spotted two Bryde's Whales. We spent about 40 minutes with them as they cruised around, not heading in any set pattern, however they surfaced frequently. As we left them we picked up more Common Dolphins who prpbably outshone the whales today. All passengers were offered a return free trip tomorrow and hopefully we can show them some of the last Humpback whales of the season heading south. Thursday November 24, 2011 CAT BALOU had a great morning today and saw five Humpback Whales. We spotted the first pod near South Head and this was a mother & calf.. Not long after we found them the calf beached close to us - a great thrill for passenegers. Later we were treated to more breaches from the calf and one from the mother which was just spectacular! Later in the morning we found a single adult off Leonards Island which gave some good flukes and back in Twofold Bay another mother & calf topped off a good morning. Several seals and some penguins were also seen.
What Makes Eden Unique? This is one of the few places in the world that Humpback Whales feed on their migratory route. The waters are rich with krill and the whales quite often stop and feed. Very few people experience this unique sight of looking into a whale's massive mouth! The fact that so many species of whales can be seen in these waters and that they travel close to shores makes Eden an ideal place for whale watching. There are some great places to do some shore-based whale watching as well as several operators who do whale watching cruises. The Eden Killer Whale Museum sounds a siren when whales are in close proximity to vantage points around Twofold Bay. Species The majority of whales sighted in the Eden area are Humpback whales seen on their southern migration. At the start of the season it is mainly sub adults, followed by mother/calf pods which quite frequently come right into Twofold Bay, giving the calves a chance to rest. Other species including Southern Rights, Blue, Dwarf Minke, Bryde's, Orca, Pilot, Sperm and several species of Beaked Whales have also been sighted off the coast of Eden in recent years. Bookings and Reservations The Eden Visitor Centre can arrange a booking for an unforgetable whale watching experience for you or your group. Our staff can assist you by contacting us on 02 64961953 during normal business hours. Research The Pacific Whale Foundation conducts research into the Eastern Australian Humpback population in Queensland and also include Eden as a vital link for their ongoing research. This includes taking photo ID of whales flukes which helps in their estimation of population and migratory routes. Research is also being undertaken by other groups interested in offshore species such as Sperm, Orca and Beaked Whales.
Where to Watch Whales Eden is one of the few places in the world that Humpback Whales feed on their migratory route. The waters are rich with krill and the whales quite often stop and feed. Experience the unique sight of seeing these massive giants of the sea up close. Whale watching cruises operate from late September through to late November. As well as charter vessels which take passengers to watch the whales at sea there are some great places to do shore based whale watching. To the south of Eden, Greencape and South Head in the southern section of the Ben Boyd National Park are excellent vantage points to spot whales. Within Twofold Bay there are viewing platforms at the Rotary Park Lookout and at the eastern end of Bass Street.
The Early Whaling Days From the early 1800s until 1930, whales were hunted at Twofold Bay, Eden. Men in open wooden boats, assisted by a pack of Killer Whales hunted various species of whales for their oil and bone. This amazing whaling history is documented in the Eden Killer Whale Museum with a skeleton of a Killer Whale named Tom on display. Whaling continued in other parts of Australia until 1978 and by then, most species of whales had been hunted to the point of extinction.
Migration During the winter months Humpback whales leave their feeding grounds in the Antarctic bound for warmer tropical waters where some will calve and others mate. Although the whales pass Eden on their northern migration, most are in a hurry and further out to sea. It is on their southern migration during spring that provides the best whale watching opportunities at Eden.
	CAT BALOU CRUISES Snug Cove Eden NSW 2551 Enjoy whale watching on the custom designed 16 metre catarmaran, 'Cat Balou' launched in 2006 and licenced to carry 72 passengers. A family owned business operating since 1990. We offer two cruises a two hour Twofold Bay Discovery Cruise which operates all year and the 3.5 hour Whale Watching Cruise operating from mid September to late November each year Phone: 0427962027 Alternate Phone: 0427260489 Website: www.catbalou.com.au

	FREEDOM CHARTERS WHALE WATCHING Snug Cove Eden NSW 2551 Enjoy guaranteed whale watching on the 11.6 metre 'Connemara', equipped with all modern conveniences. A personal and informative tour limited to 12 passengers. $70 for 3.5 hours including morning tea Phone: 02 64961209 Alternate Phone: 0415602446 Email: fishing@freedomcharters.com.au Website: www.freedomcharters.com.au

	MERIMBULA MARINA Public Jetty Market Street Merimbula NSW 2548 Enjoy whale watching out of Merimbula on board the 'True Blue' catarmaran Whales are guaranteed on our 3.5 hour cruises operating twice daily during the whale season from mid September through to late November Phone: 02 6495 1686 Alternate Phone: 0448079986 Fax: 02 64951080 Email: info@merimbulamarina.com Website: www.merimbulamarina.com