Travelling great distances each year, they have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet. Having spent summer feeding and mating in the frigid, nutrient-rich water off Antarctica, they make their way to the warmer water of the eastern Australian coast to ensure their calves are born in optimal conditions.
Rug up and meander along the Cape Schanck boardwalk or take the Fingal Beach circuit for a more challenging path along the western headland. With cool salt air kissing your cheeks, follow the trail as it weaves among the twisted coastal woodlands, offering an expansive panorama of the Bass Strait coastline.
Trace the line where ocean meets sky, raking your gaze back to the shore searching for telltale signs of humpback whales: a column of moist air forcibly expelled through their blowholes as they surface for breath, or the epic propulsion of a gigantic body into the air.
Pods of humpbacks – with their distinctive humps, large pectoral fins of dark grey to blue-black, pale mottled bellies and knobby heads and jaws – are often seen breaching, lobtailing (tail-slapping), spy hopping (raising their heads out of the water) and pectoral fin-slapping as they communicate in a social display.
Growing up to 15m, a humpback whale can weigh up to 30 tonnes; they cruise at 7-15km/h but can reach speeds of up to 27km/h when threatened by predators or curious boaters.
June and July are the best months to watch the migration, but the whales return in late August to November – some with calves – on their 10,000km round trip.
Humpback whales are most active in the early morning or late afternoon, so bring a Thermos, don a beanie, then settle in with a pair of binoculars and prepare to be marvelled. A winter wonderland awaits – just step outside.
For information on Fingal Walk, visit www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/sites/fingal-beach
