Noel Ashton

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Southern Right Whale

Eubalaena australis

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Bryde’s Whale

Balaenoptera edeni

A comparative chart for the Southern Right, Humpback and Bryde’s Whales

Seldom seenSeldom seen

BLOW TAIL FLUKES FLIPPERS HEAD

8 9The Whales of Walker Bay a n a t u r a l i s t ’ s s t o r y

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Bryd

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Whales and dolphins are not the easiest animals to

paint, as not only are they extremely difficult to observe

and study, but their bodies are made up of a range of

complex curves that differ significantly between

species. When the paintings are intended for display

along the IFAW Whale Walk on the cliff path in

Hermanus, the paintings seem to become that much

more challenging, especially as hundreds of thousands

of people will be viewing them. The effort and time

that eventually went into this project was significant,

but I felt that it was worth all the effort, as this is an

extremely important and relevant conservation initia-

The IFAW

tive, and it therefore had my total support right from

the onset. My feeling is that with the privilege of being

custodian of arguably one of the world’s best land-

based whale-watching areas, comes the responsibility

of raising awareness around these magnificent

mammals, which although protected whilst in South

African waters, still face serious threats during their

annual migrations. The incredible value and significant

impact that an education and awareness programme

can have if combined with the experience of whale

watching, has made this an extremely important initia-

tive, and one which I am very proud to be a part of.

Whale and dolphin signage boards along the c l i f f path in Hermanus

9 3The Whales of Walker Bay a n a t u r a l i s t ’ s s t o r y

Whale Walk

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On a beautiful autumn morning in May 2006, the Inter-

national Fund for Animal Welfare launched the IFAW

Whale Walk in Hermanus, with an opening address by

the Overberg Mayor Theo Beyleveldt and the loud calls

of the Whale Crier’s kelp horn. Earlier that day, the first

whale of the season was seen moving along the coast,

From left: Noel and Belinda Ashton, Mayor Theo Beyleveldt, David Beattie, IFAW’s Jason Bell-Leask and the Whale Crier

The launch of the IFAW Whale Walk

as if to welcome the boards and their important con-

servation message. As part of their global whale

conservation campaign, IFAW have positioned these

informative boards along the cliff path, offering the

viewer a better understanding of whales and dolphins

and their worldwide conservation needs.

The Southern Right Whale

Following ancient pathways, the Southern Right Whales return to our shores

each year, their V-shaped blows punctuating the air as they enter the bay from

the south at the end of their annual migration. For six months they will spend

time in one of the world’s most important ocean nurseries, rearing calves in the

shallow, sheltering waters of the Walker Bay Sanctuary.

E u b a l a e n a a u s t r a l i s

4 1The Whales of Walker Bay a n a t u r a l i s t ’ s s t o r y

notice the lack of a dorsal fin

the tail flukes are darkon both the upper andundersides

the body is large and round with predominantly black colouration white ventral

patches on the underbelly a square shaped flipper

off-white callosities

bonnet

a significantly arched mouth

a narrow rostrum

notch in the tail

Scientific name Eubalaena australis (this is taken from eu meaning ‘right’ in Greek, balaena meaning ‘whale’ in Latin and australis which means ‘southern’ in LatinGroup size This varies from 1 to 4 individuals, with larger groups congregating during matingBirth weight Approximately 900kgBirth length At birth, calves vary between 4 to 7mAdult weight Approximately 50 tonsAdult length Up to 17m in females; the males are slightly smaller

5 1The Whales of Walker Bay a n a t u r a l i s t ’ s s t o r y

blowhole

eye

A Southern Right Whale can be

identified by the light-brown to

off-white callosity patterning on

its head and the noticeable lack

of a dorsal fin.

The flippers are broad and

paddle-shaped, and are often

visible above the surface. They

are dark in colouration on both

the upper and undersides.

Identifying Southern Right Whales : what to look out for

Look out for a distinctive V-

shaped blow which can measure

up to 4 metres high. Being a

baleen whale, the blow is emitted

from two blowholes.

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Spyhopping

Whales are at times observed ‘standing’ vertically

in the water with their heads protruding above

the surface, far enough out of the water so that

they are able to look around.

This behaviour, known as spyhopping, is

observed fairly frequently in whales and, as they

at times rotate their heads, it is assumed that they

are using this opportunity to possibly orientate

themselves and to look around above the water

surface.

5 7The Whales of Walker Bay a n a t u r a l i s t ’ s s t o r y

Breaching

Breaching is the most impressive of the whale behaviours to be seen in Walker Bay, and is possibly a form of

communication, or dead skin and parasite shedding. Breaching evokes a sense of joy and play, and this might be the

simple explanation for this extraordinary behaviour.

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