When is a log, not a log? When it’s a Southern Right Whale!
Sunday 26th June was ORRCA’s annual whale census. Did you get out and count whales? One of the highlights of this year’s census was a rare Southern Right Whale sighted down at South Broulee!
If you do any sort of whale watching, you already have in mind what it looks like when you spot one out to sea: think, breaching, blowing and seeing a tail as it slips into the deep.
And while Southern Right Whales do those sort of usual whale behaviours, most people describe them as being much more log-like. They often just cruise super slowly, if at all, on top of the ocean, their huge, barnacle-covered heads just visible.
When out and about around the Illawarra, especially if you are further south, keep your eyes open for a floating log or two. You might just be looking at one of these very special animals. Read more about one of my very favourite animal encounters of all time, when I spotted a Southern Right Whale and her calf, off McCauley’s Beach, Thirroul last year. And for video of these two incredible creatures, click here.
Large yellow buoys ahoy!
If you’ve noticed a large, yellow buoy off Stanwell Park, Wollongong or Shellharbour beaches lately you might be wondering what it is. Well, wonder no more. It’s a Shark Listening Station set up by the Department of Primary Industries and is used to detect sharks, providing data for marine biologists.
The buoy detects any tagged sharks (White, Tiger and Bull Sharks) that swim within 500 metres of it, and sends a notification to the SharkSmart app, to the website and to the SharkSmart Twitter feed. The primary goal is not to protect swimmers (most sharks are't tagged) – it is to allow scientists to track these beautiful creatures.
Free, online and arty
Did you know Wollongong Art Gallery has a series of short online art classes for kids, including creating fantastic ephemeral art works from found natural items, making a cute koala and leaf printing? You can find the full range of workshops both free and paid here.
More stunning sunrises – and why it’s all Tonga’s fault
I know I say this every week, but how amazing have the sunrises been? Some seriously spectacular photos have been filling my social media feed and I am here for that! Especially since I still haven’t quite gotten up and down to the beach in time. What can I say? It’s cold.
But turns out there is a reason why the sunrises and sunsets have been beyond beautiful recently and it all comes down to a volcano eruption in Tonga! You can learn more about why, here.
Mia Ludlow had the best of both worlds walking along the Lake Illawarra Foreshore and then onto Warilla Beach during the week, capturing the sunrise as it shifted through pinks and oranges and ending with a stunning purple hue.
And Christine Harris-Hansell caught the sky on fire and some breathtaking crepuscular rays during one of her early morning sky watches.