My excuse is its winter, and its cold, wet and very miserable at the moment. So anybody who tells you Australia is the land of sunshine and heat is talking out of their wetsuit.
Since the onset of the inclement weather diving has taken a back seat but last weekend I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
I got to see one of the wonders of the world, Migaloo.
Migaloo is an Aboriginal name and the translation means White Fella and he is a White Humpback Whale and the only one known to exist on the planet.
He was first sited back in 1991 passing Byron Bay, Australia’s most eastern point and since then has been eagerly looked for each year passing up the eastern coast on his way to the breeding grounds, and it was while sitting watching the sea that I saw him making his way north along with a dozen or so other whales. There is only one thing to say when you see a sight like that, Awesome.
This year he was first spotted of all places on the entrance to the world famous Bondi Beach and has travelled up the coast travelling at a sedate 4kph.
I was talking to a guy who I work with about Migaloo and he amazed me with a story a couple of years ago where the Whale decided to take some time out and visit an area called the Seaway, which is at the southern end of the Gold Coast. He was fishing off the rocks when all of a sudden this huge whale decided to just pop up just 50mtrs from where he was fishing. As you can imagine it caused quite a stir and because of the visit they have put a stop to any further development work around the area just in case he decides to venture into the area again.
Migaloo is a wonderful story and he has become an icon in Australia, at this time of year people from all over the world come to this part of Australia just to see him and also the many other Humpback Whales that pass very close to the shores.
If you are interested in reading more about Migaloo and all the trials and tribulations that go with being a hunted species he has his own web site,
www.migaloo.com.au It makes very interesting reading, even more so when you realise that the numbers of these fabulous creatures are dropping to the point where they have almost became extinct. In this day and age surely we can do without hunting one of the true wonders of the world.
Keep warm and safe diving from a very cold Australia.
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