In an exciting first for Melbourne, two humpback whales were spotted under the Westgate Bridge in the Yarra River on Tuesday, July 22. While we’ve recorded dolphins in the Yarra past Punt Road and the occasional whale at the river’s mouth, this is the first time in our records humpback whales have ventured this far inland, so close to the heart of the city.
With this flurry of whale activity in recent weeks has had many curious citizen scientists asking: Is this normal? Do whales usually come into the bay? The answer is both yes and no!
Each winter, we do typically see a few whale sightings in Port Phillip, mostly in the southern end. Our records, which date back reliably over the last 10 years (and sporadically as far back as 1984), include past whale visits to the mouth of the Yarra. But this is the first confirmed record of humpback whales entering the Yarra River itself.
What do we know about the recent Port Phillip sightings?
Thanks to our amazing community of citizen scientists, we know that whales were sighted in Port Phillip every day between Saturday, July 19, and Saturday, July 26 with multiple individual groups seen on Tuesday, July 22. Most sightings were recorded on the eastern side of the bay, including Parkdale, across the Mornington Peninsula, and of course, Melbourne.
So what about those two individuals in the Yarra?
Video and photographic evidence submitted throughout the week confirms they were sighted:
-
Sunday 20 July – near the mouth of the Yarra River
-
Tuesday 22 July – under the Westgate Bridge and in the Yarra River
-
Friday 25 July – heading north past Mornington
These consistent sightings of the same two whales show just how important community observations are to understanding whale movements.
Help us better understand whales across Victoria!
Every report helps. If you saw whales anywhere in Port Phillip or along the Victorian coast and across Bass Strait we want to hear from you!
Report your sightings via PodWatch and be part of the growing community of citizen scientists helping to better understand these incredible animals.
