Young humpbacks are a target for killer whales.
A young humpback whale which was migrating to Australia is not expected to survive today after it was attacked by a pod of killer whales.
The young seven metre whale was spotted just off the popular City Beach in Perth earlier today. It was obviously in distress and struggling against the waves that were breaking directly onto the shore.
The one year old male humpback whale was then discovered to have significant injuries consistent with an attack, most probably by a group of killer whales.
Humpback whales normally migrate to Australia from Antartica this time of year and this youngster would have been following the migratory route.
The West Australian environment department’s senior maritime officer said that it may have to be put down.
The whale had been beached twice during the day, but had managed to get back out to sea, however the whale was quickly becoming exhausted and its injuries were causing obvious suffering.
Unfortunately the breaking waves were so heavy that it was too dangerous for anyone to go out and help the whale. So for now all onlookers can do is to wait for the swell to go down sufficiently to enable a vet to assess the situation and in all probability, put the whale to sleep.
Killer whales are the only known predator of the humpback whales, attacking them during their migratory trail from Antartica to Australia. Females with their calves are particularly vulnerable. This young humpback would have been attacked by a pod of killer whales but he was obviously too much of a match for them as he managed to escape their clutches. Sadly however, his injuries would have left him exhausted and the beaching would only sap his energies further.
But some good news has come out of this tragic tale. The fact that a whale has been beached on the shores of Perth is an indication that the numbers of humpback whales must be on the increase.
Small consolation for the poor whale out there at the moment though.
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2 Responses to “Killer Whales attack Young Humpback”
Comment by CR — October 8, 2009 @ 7:15 am
Really? A one year old humpback whale would have been looking for a mate, when males don’t reach sexual maturity until seven years of age? Fact check, please.
It does seem like an attack by transient orcas, however. It sounds like the only reason he survived was because he made it into shallower water than they wanted to be in. Grey whale mothers use that trick when they attack in Monterey Bay, since orcas are more than a match for whale calves.
Comment by Lisa Valentine — October 8, 2009 @ 7:51 am
Hello CR, yes you are quite right, humpback whales don’t reach sexual maturity until they are around 6 – 10 years of age. Thanks for the heads-up on this, I’ll amend the story accordingly!