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There is renewed hope Southern Right Whales are returning to Tasmanian waters to breed, with the first sighting of a mother and calf Southern Right Whale this year.
Tasmanian waters were once a traditional breeding ground for Southern Right Whales until they were hunted to near extinction.
As the species gradually recovers, most Southern Right Whales travel from their Antarctic summer feeding grounds to calve in more northern waters of Victoria and South Australia.
But this most recent sighting near Bruny Island, following on from two sightings in 2013 which was the highest number of sightings in 100 years, is raising hope Tasmania will one day regain its status as a sanctuary for the species.
All Tasmanians can do their part by remaining vigilant and reporting any whale activity around the coastline.
These reports are critically important as the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment follow up on these real-time reports wherever possible as part of an ongoing monitoring program.
By photographing and identifying individual whales, it provides a clearer snapshot of the size of the population in Tasmanian waters.
While the whale migration season offers a chance for a rare glimpse of these splendid mammals, it is important for boat operators, swimmers and divers to observe whale watching guidelines.
We want them to feel at home in these waters, so that they are more likely to visit and breed safely here, which will hopefully help their populations recover.
Sightings should be reported to Whale Hotline on 0427 WHALES (0427 942 537).
For more information about whale viewing guidelines, visit www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au
