THERE’S nothing like a whale or ten to promote the beauty of the Port Macquarie coastline.
This week has seen the humpback highway almost as busy as the Pacific Highway during school holidays, with whale watchers and beachgoers alike treated to plenty of acrobatics and theatrics.
Alex McNaught’s drone shots of a pod of juvenile males jostling for position off Tacking Point, and Jodie Lowe’s photos of a whale in full breach off Town Beach, have been shared around the world.
These professional images are spectacular reminders of how much joy, and business, these giants of the sea bring to the Hastings and Camden Haven communities.
Jodi Heeney, who runs Port Jet Cruises with her husband Anthony, told News Of The Area that the long weekend was “enormous” with hundreds of tourists a day wanting to see the whales.
Among the passengers were visitors who return “season after season”.
“Port Macquarie is a great destination because we’re through the [coastal] bar and out to the whales in minutes.
“At this time of year they come in nice and close to the lighthouse.”
Jodi said some tourists were taken aback by the “competitive pod” of juvenile males that came through on Monday, 6 October.
“The young adolescents were barging and pushing each other around, with the mothers below them protecting their calves.”
As the cruise skippers captured video of the “boys behaving badly”, Alex captured the pod from the air.
The professional photographer, widely known for his photos of the region’s animals and scenery and for his sand art on Oxley Beach, estimates at least 10 or possibly 11 whales were in the pod.
He told NOTA he launched his drone after getting a tip from spotter Leigh Mansfield, who directs the Port Jet Cruises from the Tacking Point Lighthouse.
“He is invaluable for me as he lets me know when there is something of interest during the season, since he is up there all the hours of the day with binoculars,” Alex said.
“He is an expert at picking the telltale signs from miles away.”
While Alex shares some of his photos for others to enjoy and to keep the community informed, he and Leigh also play a key role in protecting the humpbacks.
“Leigh also works with National Parks for entanglement and other whale welfare issues, and I have [the National] Park’s full authority to fly as close as I need to get detailed shots to brief rescue teams.
“Typically though, I don’t need to go close.
“In fact, I like to shoot from the maximum allowable height, since the drone I use can capture both wide angle and the powerful zoom simultaneously.
“This is invaluable when video editing.
“For the capture of the fast pod, I was already aware the whale watching boat was some miles north with them and reporting vigorous action.
“So, I chose to wait at Rocky Beach for them to come past, which would give me a much shorter distance to fly out… before the inevitable return to the launch point for a battery change.
“Having secured the clips from that section of the coast, I then dashed down to Tacking Point… so I was able to get a long video for the final edit.”
Both Alex and Jodi say the return migration has been strong, with the run of dry weather and the improved water quality bringing the whales closer to shore.
Alex posts his daily material on Facebook (alex.mcnaught or RovingEyeDotCom) and on YouTube (@AlexMcNaught/videos).
He also uploads a monthly galley for viewing and sale at roving-eye.com/.
Jodie Lowe’s photos are on the Port Jet Cruises social pages and at jodielowesmarineanimalphotography.com/.
The season is expected to run for another month.
By Sue STEPHENSON
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