Orca Whale Watching co-ordinator Tiffany-Lee wears her heart on her sleeve. Showing her commitment to Cetacean welfare is more than just skin deep. Tiffany-Lee and half a dozen other ‘Orrca’ volunteers had counted 62 whales passing the cape at Byron by 10;30 on Sunday morning.
Photo Jeff ‘whale washer’ Dawson.
Over 1000 people headed to Cape Byron Lighthouse on Sunday to learn more about whales and join in the official whale count for 2017.
‘It was fantastic and the weather was great,’ said Aboriginal education officer Delta Kay.
‘From 7am to 4pm we counted 171 whales, two more than last year.’
Two hundred to 500 humpback whales were estimated to have been left in the 1960s as the whaling industry came to a close. This year ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) are estimating that there will be around 30,000 whales that will pass by the NSW coast during the 2017 whale watching season.
‘The humpback whale migration is a conservation success story,’ NPWS area manager Sue Walker said.
NPWS staff members worked alongside ORRCA volunteers on Sunday as visitors stopped to read the display and find out information about the whales and whale migration.
Become a supporter of The Echo
A note from the editorial team
Some of The Echo’s editorial team: journalists Paul Bibby and Aslan Shand, editor Hans Lovejoy, photographer Jeff Dawson and Mandy Nolan
“The Echo has never underestimated the intelligence and passion of its readers. In a world of corporate banality and predictability, The Echo has worked hard for more than 30 years to help keep Byron and the north coast unique with quality local journalism and creative ideas. We think this area needs more voices, reasoned analysis and ideas than just those provided by News Corp, lifestyle mags, Facebook groups and corporate newsletters.
The Echo is one hundred per cent locally owned and one hundred per cent independent. As you have probably gathered from what is happening in the media industry, it is not cheap to produce a weekly newspaper and a daily online news service of any quality.
We have always relied entirely on advertising to fund our operations, but often loyal readers who value our local, independent journalism have asked how they could help ensure our survival.
Any support you can provide to The Echo will make an enormous difference. You can make a one-off contribution or a monthly one. With your help, we can continue to support a better informed local community and a healthier democracy for another 30 years.”
Bloody whale time again. Must be the most boring event of the year.