Afternoon Activity
I
elected to go out on the Auckland Whale and Dolphin Watch rather than attend
the afternoon portion of the conference.
Turned out to be the best decision I could have made – not only did I see
Common Dolphins and at least 5-7 Bryde’s whales, but there was a mother-calf
Humpback whale pair! Now, I know you’re
thinking – Humpback whales, really? I am
serious though! Location is a huge deal
for this species! There have only been
two sightings of this species in the Hauraki Gulf since 1960 according to the
boat captain and marine biologist on board.
Humpbacks are NEVER seen in this area of the New Zealand. Don’t get me wrong, I was much more excited
by the Common dolphins and glad to have seen the Bryde’s whale, but the
Humpback pair were going through the social interaction routine. We saw flipper slapping, breaching (body,
tail, head, full), twisting, ½ tail in the air, and so many more behaviours with
baby copying Mom every step of the way.
An amazing, amazing experience!
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