Welcoming the Whales to Gabon
By Lloyd Edwards

1. News

While it has always been our goal to get to the Humpback whales calving and nursing grounds off West Africa, Covid thwarted us. Finally arrived here on the 11th August 2022 and the next morning went straight out to sea. The conditions were good but on very small boats but with very good Skippers. Our SA Marine Safety Authority SAMSA would have cardiac arrest if they saw the condition of the boats.

After an hour and a half at 20 to 30 knots we found our first pod and then they started popping up all over the place.  Managed some great shots of adults breaching and then even the calf attempting the same. Gabon is experiencing a very good whale season with plenty around, much the same as off Kenya at present.

It was only fitting that we should not hesitate and immediately planned a Welcoming the Whales Presentation at the Tropicana Hotel outside Libreville. Right next to the tropical Atlantic Ocean nestled among a Grove of coconut palms.  It took me the rest of the day to edit some amazing photos taken on the mornings cruise. The locals simply couldn't believe that the images had been taken that morning! Questions about the Whales and their incredible journey took place late into the night! Today I am in Port Gentill to go out on the only catamaran operating off the coast of Gabon, looking forward to that!

The feeling amongst the whale watchers is that they will be heading off any moment now. If these whales migrate back to their feeding grounds at 55 degrees South then their round trip would be 12 300km, quite a feat for the female as she does not eat on the journey!

Even further up the coast and to the West at the Cape Verde Islands, scientists have detected Humpback whales using acoustics. They reported a peak in April that would mean Northern Atlantic pods and again in August which would indicate their Southern Atlantic cousins. There is a map attached of Humpback whales that were tagged in Gabon. This year there have been reports of Humpback whales off Dakar in Senegal, the Western most point in Africa.

What amazing creatures we are privileged to have passing Algoa Bay on this incredible journey. Ours of course end up on the East African coast. All the more reason to protect the marine environment through which they pass! This includes the scourge of the rock lobster Fisheries ropes and buoys! Please sign the Petition if you haven’t already. Thank you

A female humpback whale breaches in the warm tropical waters off Libreville, Gabon.

Her calf attempts the same feat but doesn't get it right. Calves frow quickly in these tropical waters to get into shape for the long swim back to their feeding grounds.

Side by side the cow can feel her calf's development. See how the dorsal fin is still bent over, indicating that the birth is quite recent.

This was the escourt of the cow and calf pair.  In a contest with killer whales and extra two flippers would help! Not the barnacle scars on the flukes. The cold water barnacles die and fall off in the tropical waters leaving these scars.

The Tropicana Hotel outside of Libreville, the perfect venue for a talk on the passing Humpback whales.

Satellite tracks from animals tagged in Gabon back in 2002 went as far as Ghana before tags stopped -so they almost certainly go further west/north.  These maps from Howard Rosenbaums paper (2014)