Humpback whale follows cruise boat into Akaroa Harbour

A large Humpback whale followed a cruise boat into Akaroa Harbour yesterday.

The whale was the latest sighting in a busy migration period as whales make their annual trek north from the Southern Ocean.

Yesterday’s whale followed a Black Cat Cruise boat into Akaroa Harbour with the cruise’s guide Laura Hansen said saying “it was incredibly playful and very relaxed,”
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“He spent lots of time showing us his belly, pectoral fin slapping and at one point had a dozen Hector Dolphins within metres circling and almost bow riding the whale.”
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Black Cat Cruise’s Skipper Hamish Crosbie said the whale followed the Black Cat Cruise boat into the Harbour up to Seal Bay.

“We travelled with the whale for a while then stopped the boat and it turned towards us and swam around and under the boat for approximately half an hour. The Crew got covered in spray from the whales breathe.”

“Today was clearly one of the most intimate whale experiences possible,” he said.

Humpback whales are well known for their spectacular breaching and beautiful, complex songs. Southern Ocean humpbacks migrate thousands of kilometres between low-latitude winter breeding and calving grounds in Antarctica and sub-tropical coastal waters of western and eastern Australia and Fiji.

This route takes them right past Akaroa and the coast of Canterbury, and is providing a bonus for Black Cat Cruises at this time of year.