Souvenir Edition of our whale interview with Sharon!

Hi AGM readers! Jervis Bay Dolphin and Whale Watching Cruise's deck hand Sharon told AGM about not only their cruises,and about whales too!   (Souvenir Editon)
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AG:How many whales do you normally see?

Ans. Some days maybe only a couple and other days we may see more than
30 on one cruise.

AG:How long have you been operating Dolphin And Whale Watching Cruises Jervis Bay?

Ans. 23 years.

AG: What species of whales are most likely to be extinct?

Ans. Minke whales, southern right whales the whales we see the most are Humpback Whales and their numbers are increasing which is great!

AG:How long does a baby whale need to feed on its mother's milk before
it can find it's own food?

Ans. 3-6 months.

AG: So tell us the migrating patterns of the whales.

Ans. From May to August they are heading up north Queensland for mating
then from September to November they are return to the south .

AG:Do the whales like the boat?

Ans. Yes,they seem to be attracted to the boat and are very curious of
people watching them.

AG:How do you find these whales?

Ans. Just by taking the boat out and looking.We are very lucky they are
easy to find from the spray when they breathe.


AG:Are there any important rules when you go whale watching?

Ans. Yes,definitely! We need to stay 100 meters away from a whale and
300m away from a mother with calf.

AG:How does a whale milks on its calf?

Ans. The mother has a mammary gland which she extend for the calf when
she wants it to feed, she situates in into the calf's mouth so no water
gets in the calf's drink approximate 600 litre per day.The calf's stay with their mother for 2 migration seasons.

AG: How often do you see new calfs?

Ans. We see many new calf's especially during the return migration
around October/November, the mothers bring the calf's inside Jervis Bay
to rest and feed before continuing the journey.

AG:What is the normal lifespan of a whale?

Ans.45-50 years.

AG:How many baby whales can a mother whale produce during her lifetime?

Ans. A female has a calf out every 3 years, however it is unknown when they stop producing calf’s.

AG:What is the gestation period of a whale?

Ans. 11.5 months.

AG:Do you vaccinate your whales? (Please tell us why and how many times you vaccinate them a year.) If they fall ill,what kind of disease do they have (normally)?

Ans. No our whales are wild animals

AG:Do you have any advice for AG readers looking to get a carrier similar to your own?

Ans. Study hard!Maybe even look into marine research.Good luck!

AG:White whales are very rare,and did you ever saw one before? (If not,tell us about locations white whales would be spotted)


Ans. There is one white Humpback whale that does the migration every year, we have missed out on seeing it but it has been seen in Sydney several times.…

AG:Do female and male whales both sing? (Tell us more about their songs and how they sing.) How many whales sang for the cruise before?


Ans. Only the males sing, it is thought they sing to attract females and to communicate with each other.


AG:When did you bought the boat and when did you operate your first cruise?

Ans. Our boat and company was formed 22 years ago.