WARRNAMBOOL has reclaimed its title as the whale capital of Victoria – for this year at least.
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Up to 14 whales were spotted at Logans Beach on Sunday, in what has been a bumper season.
Warrnambool City Council mayor Kylie Gaston said if anyone was planning a day trip or overnight stay to the city, now was the time to book it.
“We expect the whales to be here for a few weeks yet,” she said.
Photographer Perry Cho, from Patient Eye Imaging, said the southern right whales on view on Sunday was “the best show” he had seen.
“I was out at the platform for about 50 minutes and I took more than 1900 photos,” he said. “It was the best breaching display I’ve ever seen in Warrnambool. It’s absolutely sensational. The crowd was in awe.”
Mr Cho said he worked alongside two other photographers, Maureen MacDonald and Bill Twiss, helping each other spot the whales.
“We were enjoying the moment,” he said. “It was so good to share.”
Mr Cho recently retired from his job as senior principal at Warrnambool’s Sinclair Wilson accounting firm.
He had been there for 43 years.
“You couldn’t ask for a better time to retire,” he said.
“I haven’t had a bored moment.”
He said tourists and locals alike had flocked to the whale viewing platform to catch a glimpse of the ocean giants.
“There has been heaps of people wanting to have a look through my lens,” he said. “During the school holidays it was standing room only.”
In past years Portland had claimed the ‘whale capital’ title, having had more sightings. Some humpback whales have been spotted around Portland and Cape Nelson this winter, as well as southern rights at Port Fairy.