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Newcastle Herald

Madeline Link

'Fin-tastic': Humpback highway bumper to bumper as whales migrate

Peter Lorimer Port Stephens Frank Future (Person) Paul Watson

The Humpback Highway off Port Stephens is officially open for business as more than 40,000 whales migrate north for the winter. Picture by Peter Lorimer

TRAFFIC is almost bumper to bumper on the 'humpback highway' as more than 40,000 whales start their epic journey north to warmer waters.

The majestic creatures are a major drawcard for the seaside region of Port Stephens, as thousands of tourists jump aboard whale-watching cruises from May to November.

Imagine Cruises chief executive Frank Future has operated his business for almost 30 years and loves giving tourists a unique experience.

"We feel quite custodial about whales," he said.

"I've spent a bit of time personally with Greenpeace and the International Fund for Animal Welfare around the world trying to encourage countries that have been, particularly whaling countries, to engage in whale watching rather than whaling as a sustainable source of income."

In 1996, Mr Future said there were only about 1500 whales on the east coast.

The whale watching season officially opened this week with a smoking ceremony on Worimi Country followed by a few tunes from the Port Stephens Sea Shanty Singalong group.

Locals cut the ribbon on a fibreglass whale, named Watson after Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson.

Conditions on Thursday were perfect and whale watchers were treated to an awe-inspiring show from a mother, calf and escort.

The energetic trio breached high above the water, slapped their tails and rolled in the air with their huge pectoral fins outstretched like wings.

Humpback whales start the long journey from southern ocean waters all the way down to the south polar ice shelf, where they feed on krill during the warmer months.

Now, they're headed north to their east coast breeding ground in the warm, tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mr Future said the females that conceived this time last year will be giving birth over the next few months.

"Whales have been increasing in numbers by about nine per cent each year, which is really fantastic," he said.

A whale breaches off the coast of Port Stephens. Picture by Peter Lorimer

Destination Port Stephens chief executive officer Stephen Keogh said the region has made a name for itself as a whale watching hot spot.

"I can attest to the power that the Port Stephens brand has to many of the international destinations that are just queuing up to come here and experience the opportunities that are afforded by our natural settings and operators," he said.

"The Port Stephens tourism industry is largely homegrown and sustains about 200 locally-owned small businesses and about 3300 full-time workers."

Mr Keogh said collectively, more than 10 per cent of the domestic workforce in Port Stephens is working in tourism, accommodation, food and beverage or hotels.

He said whale watching is a large part of the "huge iceberg" of opportunity for locals.

"But whale watching let's face it, it's more than an economic driver, it's incredible," he said.

"Whale-watching visitors get much more than an opportunity to leave behind a few bucks in the local economy.

"What they get to experience from an encounter with one of these amazing creatures, they leave with a great understanding or marine ecosystems, a deeper understanding of oceanic life and how important it is that we respect our planet and everything that moves within it.

"I doubt there's a more powerful argument for conservation anywhere than being up close to a mother whale and its calf heading south after a migration."

For those who prefer to remain on land, whales can be seen from the Tomaree Headland summit.

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