Raggy Charters welcomed the first-ever Southern Right whale calf to be born in Algoa Bay after they spotted it close to the shore off Hougham Park just north of St Croix Island.
They suspect the calf was born very recently as it still had the evidence of a fetal fold on its skin caused by the calf being ‘folded’ up inside of the mother’s womb. ‘Last week we observed two adults in the same area,’ they said on a Facebook post.
One reason whales are found in this particular area is the gently sloping shore profile that allows them to conserve energy and for the calf to grow faster.
Another good reason they stay close to the shore is for protection against killer whales. Killer whales do not hesitate to attack and drown the calf just to eat its tongue.
‘The calf will probably spend around two months in our waters before it is strong enough to undertake the long journey back to the feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean,’ Raggy Charters said.
Pictures: Raggy Charters
ALSO READ
