The Humpback Migration Enigma
By Lloyd Edwards

Wednesday, 20th November 2024

Since 1997 I have been at sea observing the Humpback whale migration. One thing I can say for sure, is that every year it is different! The Northern migration during early June is pretty much like clockwork. So many times, during our “Welcoming the Whales Festival” in the first week of June, the whales have arrived on time!

The Southern migration is however a different kettle of fish. We know the males start coming back past Algoa Bay around September, after they have mated. They are followed by the recently fertilised females and the cow and calf pairs. It is these cows and their calves that do not stick to the time pattern.

Two years ago, we saw only one cow/calf pair in Algoa Bay on the Southern migration. Last year, during the same period, they were all over the place! Now this year they seem to be coming back in fits and starts. The calf in the attached photos looks to be about 3 months old. This individual did about 20 breaches in a row. Last weekend we got another cow calf pair, but the calf was less than a month old! They have been very scarce recently, although we did see some breaches off Seaview on the weekend.

Another anomaly this year, was that while looking for Sperm whales on the Continental Shelf in June, 80km south of Cape Recife . . . we saw scores of immature Humpback whales on the shelf edge. What the hell were these non-breeders doing there? None of the scientists I consulted could give me an answer. We simply do not know.

As the saying goes, what goes up, must come down! Well, the whales all went North between June and August . . . so they must be somewhere! The only place they could be is in the Agulhas Current on the Continental Shelf. We have been planning a cruise out to take a look, but have been thwarted by bad weather/ and or bookings that needed priority.

This brings us for a plea to try and source a twin-engine plane. A single engine plane may not fly over the ocean. There is only one in Port Elizabeth and the owner told me that he would not go that far out to seas in it . . . it was constructed in 1959! With all the regulations and increase in costs, they are very expensive to keep. If anyone can assist, please give us a call at Raggy Charters.

Taken on manual with auto ISO, with a Nikon Z9 and a 70 to 200mm mirroless lens. The ISO was 280, 195mm zoom, f/8 and 1/1250^th second.

The lens hood fell off my camera in Peru and rolled into the road. A local truck then smashed it to pieces! I used another hood which didn’t fit properly, so I had to tape it on. When the Humpback breached next to the catamaran, I tried to zoom out, but the tape held the lens fast! Hence all the first 5 images were shot on 195mm and fill up the whole space. I would never have taken it like this, but nice to see some detail on the whale’s body.