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WHALE WATCHING ON
THE CENTRAL COAST
From the last week in
May through until the end of July, high vantage points along the
Central Coast offer excellent opportunities for viewing humpback
whales as they journey north on their annual migration.
Watch for the blow as
they expel vapour when breaking the surface to breathe. Sometimes they
will give acrobatic displays, leaping from the water and crashing down
with an almighty splash.
Early morning, from
sunrise until 10am, is the best time for whale watching. Late
afternoon also offers quite good opportunities but avoid the middle of
the day, when glare makes spotting difficult. Weather
conditions are of vital importance. The best conditions are when there
are light winds and smooth seas. In rough seas, the whales stay much
further off shore and the presence of white caps and spray makes
spotting virtually impossible.
While you'll be able to
spot whales with the naked eye, binoculars will greatly increase your
viewing experience. And, if you intend taking photos, don't expect
miracles unless you have a high quality telephoto lens of at least
300mm focal length and a tripod. The image, below, was taken at a 70mm focal
length and then cropped from the actual image. As you can see, it's
not great - only just passable even at this small size and could not be
enlarged any more than this.
The best spots for
whale watching on the Central Coast are:
Captain Cook Memorial
Lookout, Copacabana Wyrrabalong Lookout,
Forresters Beach Crackneck Point
Lookout, Bateau Bay Wybung Head,
Munmorah
State Conservation Area Other
good vantage points include: The
Skillion, Terrigal Norah Head Lighthouse Snapper
Point, Munmorah State Conservation Area
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