ISLAND CONSERVATION SOCIETY-Whales in the Inner Islands |05 November 2007
Barely a ripple disturbed the surface when I saw an unmistakable jet of spray about half a
Humpback whales gather annually at Astove and Aldabra, as reported in the Nation on 24th September and although known to migrate over huge distances between breeding and feeding grounds, little is known of their life in Seychelles. Sightings from the inner islands are few and far between and the only previous record from Aride was a mother and calf seen in November 2004.
The early morning whale slipped away to the west and we thought that that would be the last sighting for the next few years but at around midday Jenny Morley, a conservation volunteer on the island called out “I think the whale’s back!”.
There it was again, the clear spout of spray as the whale exhaled rising above the horizon, further offshore this time but still unmistakable. I ran to fetch my binoculars and saw a group of at least six humpbacks around three kilometres to the south, moving around in a tight group and apparently feeding; every now and then one of the whales would appear vertically at the surface with its massive jaws agape before closing them and slipping back into the ocean, presumably with a suitably large mouthful of fish.
Although they were quite a long way offshore, one of the group was clearly much smaller than the others and must have been a calf. After watching for about half an hour, the whales moved slowly away to the southwest towards Mahe. All except one that is, that headed east instead, passing between Aride and Booby Island.
Presumably this lone animal then realised that it had lost the others and tried to get in contact using a combination of breaching – launching its entire body vertically into the air before crashing down with an enormous splash, and fin slapping – lying on its side and slapping the water with its wing-like pectoral fin. The sight of this enormous animal (humpbacks reach around 16m length and 50 tonnes in weight) leaping clear of the water has to be one of nature’s most awe inspiring spectacles. The shockwaves from this behaviour must have reached the others because after ten minutes of banging and splashing it headed west at a terrific pace, maybe 20 knots or more.
The group must have then headed slowly south west because they were seen again, this time off the coast of Bel Ombre at around 6 p.m. by my colleague Andrew Jean-Louis of the Island Conservation Society (ICS), with his family. They watched the group speeding along and confirmed that there were six or seven animals, including one calf, and one of the adults continued to breach and fin-slap as they moved, eventually disappearing towards Conception, putting on a wonderful show for the people of north Mahe. The next day a humpback was seen at ICS’s outpost in the Amirantes at Alphonse – could it have been one of the same animals?
Although a rare sight, it is likely that migrating humpbacks and other whales pass near the granitic islands from time to time without being spotted or reported. I have always been an avid seawatcher but never have I seen such magical scenes right on my doorstep. We are lucky in Seychelles to have such a wealth of wildlife so close to home. It may not always be such a dramatic spectacle, but time spent sitting quietly, looking out over the sea will always bring its rewards.
The Island Conservation Society promotes the conservation and restoration of island ecosystems.
By Ben Sampson