Survivalists of the ocean

Survivalists of the ocean © Southern Woodenboat Sailing

This week, we're not tracking the Fastnet, or the Sydney to Hobart. This week we're tracking the great classics; the survivalists of the ocean - the southern right whale.

We build boats. We design craft. Flying above the water, we aim to travel as smoothly as we can. Graciously assisted by a steady breeze, we humans hum along at a happy 8 knots and, if the wind drops out completely and, only if we must, we power up the stink and kick into fossil fuel mode trying hard to maintain a respectable 6.

But not so beneath the waves. Here just meters below our boots, Swordfish speed machines sheathed in scales hit top speeds of 50 knots. Svelte Blue Fin Tuna cruise at 30. But brilliance is not all about speed and for many, nothing comes closer to marine perfection than the magnificence of sighting and watching a whale in the ocean beside us.

I remember the first time I encountered a whale. I smelt her before I saw her. We were sailing up the eastern coast of Australia somewhere north of Brisbane. Perhaps she was curious, perhaps we'd sailed into her migratory path but with her calf close beside her, and much like an ocean tanker blasting 5 clear horn hoots to indicate a course being maintained, she cleared her blowhole, filled the air with the stench of fish and our hearts with wonder. The whale maintained her course and we tacked.

Southern Right Whales cruise at a leisurely 5 knots and as per their name, they weave and circle in a migratory path from the base of New Zealand, down towards Antarctica and then to give birth they head north, close to the Great Australian Bight.

And right now, these mothers of the ocean are cruising up west, towards the Bight to deliver the next generation of babies into the world and you can watch them. Each day via Tohora you can view their passage, come to know their names, history and connection.

Come to know these beautiful creatures by name, track their paths each day. - photo © Southern Woodenboat Sailing

Southern Right Whales are the curious, gentle giants of the whale world. Don't let their huge size - up to 18 m and 80 tonnes - fool you - they often approach and inspect things in their environment, can launch themselves out of the water, and even play with kelp. Their curiosity and gentleness meant that they were the target of early whalers, with over 150,000 killed between 1790 and 1980 worldwide. Whalers gave them their name - they were the 'right whales' to hunt because they are slow, float when dead and yield a lot of oil and baleen.

1920's Population at lowest level As few as 40 southern right whales – tohora remain in Aotearoa New Zealand. - photo © Southern Woodenboat Sailing

The raised whitish patches of thickened skin on Southern Right Whales are called callosities and are encrusted with marine lice and barnacles. They are present on calves from birth and can be used to individually identify whales throughout their lifetime (like unique birthmarks). A Southern Right Whale calf weighs about one tonne at birth, while adults can weigh up to 80 tonnes.

These giant mammals eat some of the smallest foods in the ocean in large quantities. Small crustaceans, like krill and copepods, make up most of their diet. A Southern Right Whale eats up to a tonne of tiny crustaceans per day in subantarctic waters. They strain their food from the ocean, catching it in their comb-like 'teeth' called baleen. Breeding Between 25 and 55 calves are born in Southern Australia each year in June and nursing continues in November. When a calf is born it has only a little blubber to keep it warm. To quickly build up some blubber it suckles up to 150 litres of rich, fatty milk from its mother every day. When doing this it can gain up to 90kg in weight each day.Yes! You read that correctly - from 150 litres of whale milk, a calf is able to gain 90kg a day! How's that for a remarkable conversion of liquid into body weight.

Just as we've seen in recent times, great science is all about global collaboration and the team behind the Tohora project is no exception.

This week we invite you to track and learn about the world of Southern Right Whales and to simply enjoy the voyage of Tohora. Who will make it first to the Great Australian Bight? Absorb yourself in the timeline. Discover as much as you can about this incredible creature or at the very least, become a whale watcher!

This article has been republished by permission from southernwoodenboatsailing.com.