Whales and calves close to shore ahead of return Census Day

Mother whales are making their slow south-bound journey, returning after having their babies for the year in warm northern waters, and they're bringing their calves close to shore.

According to National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) whales start their swim north around May and June, and begin making their southbound journey from around August to November.

The peak of migration season is around the end of June and throughout July, when the highest numbers of whales can be seen from the NSW coastline.

"Whale watching season is getting longer because, thankfully, whale populations are increasing due to conservation efforts over recent years," said a spokesperson for NPWS.

ORRCA's Southern Migration Census Day is set for Sunday, October 1, following the Annual Census Day in June this year.

The president of ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia), Ashley Ryan, is expecting high numbers recorded due to clear waters as a result of minimal rain and smaller swell.

"We've noticed [the whales] in really close so we've recorded high numbers, but that could just be because we're seeing more, not necessarily that there is more," said Ms Ryan.

"With those big weather events that we had over the previous two years, the dirty water from all the rain pushed the whales further out, so we saw less whales in the past two years."

The ORRCA president says it has been an "interesting season" with a "crazy amount of reports" from people thinking whales are in trouble as they come close to shore.

"[People] are seeing behaviours that they're not used to, like logging really close to shore where [the whales] are just resting and after a while they're just take off," she said.

Ms Ryan says that they had reports of an early migration north which could contribute to an earlier migration south.

"We are seeing calves born further south and that seems to be a trend that's getting more common each year," she said

"But in saying that the whales are still travelling north to look for the warm sheltered waters to nurse and feed their calves so they are strong enough to make the trip back south."

The best spots in the Macleay to spot whales are;

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