The Residents Association of Dana Bay Conservancy We care about our environment

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The first two Southern Right Whales were spotted in Dana Bay on 7 April 2010 heading towards Mossel Bay.  They are usually along our coastline during the months of May to December and they can be seen interacting in the sheltered bays and coves close inshore and near river mouths.  Make sure that you com to see them! 

These stately creatures are extremely intelligent, graceful and majestic and for eons they have traveled the seas singing their whale songs and danced to the beat of the waves. 

The lifespan of the Southern Right whale is estimated to be 90 – 100 years.  The head of the Southern Right is large and covered with wart-like bumps called callosities. These differ in size and position and are often used to identify individuals.

Whales, like dolphins communicate by means of sonar. They make clicking, grunting and whistling sounds which also act as a means of echolocation. These can be heard for miles under water, and can also be heard from above water. Whales are also thought to communicate by slamming their flukes (tails) against the surface of the ocean which produces a loud splashing sound, an action called lob tailing. When whales breach (jump), they are also thought to be communicating with other whales.Unlike fish, whales swim by moving their tails up and down.

Whales breed in warmer waters and females usually have one calf every 1-3 years. Mothers form close relationships with their young, who start suckling from birth until about one year of age. The gestation period is about 12 months and the calf is born tail first. The newborn is helped to the surface of the ocean by its mother to take its first breath, and after thirty minutes has learned to swim.  As mammals, they are born with a fine sprinkling of hair which through the years mostly disappears.  The calf and mother spend the first year together, with the baby living off its mother's milk.  When a calf is born, it is between 5 and 6 meters long. By adulthood (approx. 10 years) the males are on average 15.2 m and the females 16.5 m. 

The Southern Right Whales are filter feeders and get their food through the water which is filtered through the baleen (a series of stiff, flexible material, keratin, which hang from the upper jaw in their mouths – also called whalebone).  Plankton and other tiny crustaceans (like krill) are constantly being ingested. On occasion they are also bottom feeders, eating benthic prey from the mud on the ocean floor.
 

Interesting terms regarding whales :

Breaching : When a whale leaps out of the water, sometimes twirling around, it is called breaching. This action may be done purely for play, or may be used to loosen skin parasites and other irritations the whale might have. Breaching is also believed to be a means of communication with other whales and is usually done in sets of between four and six.

Fluking : Fluking is when a whale raises its tail out of the water as it begins a dive.

Lobtailing : This is an activity in which the animal sticks its tail out of the water, swings it around and then slaps it onto the water's surface. This produces a loud sound which is believed to be a means of communication between whales.

Logging : This is when the whale is merely lying in the water, with its tail hanging down. Part of the head and back are exposed.

Spouting / Blowing : When whales blow air out of the blowholes located near the top of the head it is known as spouting. Southern Right Whales have two blowholes which act as nostrils. When they blow air out of their blowholes a distinctive V-shaped water-vapour-cloud is produced largely by condensation when warm breath comes into contact with cooler air.

Spyhopping : An activity in which the whale pokes its head out of the water, possibly to take a look around.

Written by Maroné for the Dana Bay Concervancy