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MOSSEL BAY NEWS & VIDEO - There have been reports of more whale sightings this spring than in previous years in the Mossel Bay area.
Sightings all along the coast of the greater Mossel Bay area have been reported and thrilling photographs and videos have been taken.
At about 03:00 on Friday, 24 September, sounds of whales calling, extremely close to shore, were recorded in town by Mossel Bay Advertiser freelance photographer Mandie Black.
Dr Tess Gridley of Sea Search, a marine research organisation, confirmed the sounds were those of southern right whales, a migratory species.
They are low frequency, "grunting" noises, as opposed to the complex, squeaking, "whale song" of humpback whales, the other migratory species which frequents South African waters.
Photo gallery: Whales spotted in the Mossel Bay area
Most of the photographs taken near Mossel Bay over the past few weeks are of southern right whales.
Watch 2 videos below:
Gridley and fellow scientist Dr Simon Elwen of Sea Search (http://seasearch.co.za) have done extensive research on marine mammals.
Elwen said: "Southern right whales come to South Africa in July from the cold southern ocean and have their calves here in August and September mainly."
"The humpbacks, when spotted, are usually swimming past South Africa, because they have their calves off Mozambique. They come past South Africa in June or July, going north, and in September and October they swim past, going south again."
Gridley said the calls heard on Black's video were probably between a mother and calf or between two whales mating.
Photo: Coulson Art Photography
She said females came close to the shore to nurse their calves, away from predators, in calm water.
"Nursing females avoid males, who are wanting to mate," Gridley said.
She said it was not unusual to hear whales vocalising, such as on Black's video. This sound was made by airflow through the larynx, not the blowhole.
Elwen said: "Some parts of the world are having a good whale year and others not, but whale populations are large currently." He said whale sightings depended on the mammals' feeding and calving patterns.
Whales spotted off Pienaarstrand, near Great Brak. Photo: Bernardino Marques
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