More whales this season

Former Albany whaler Mick Stubbs says he has seen more whales making the traditional pilgrimage past Albany this season than ever.

Mr Stubbs heads to the Marine Drive lookout most mornings to cast an eye over Frenchman Bay and beyond in search of the gentle giants. He is Albany’s unofficial whale expert, having spent decades watching the majestic creatures.

Mr Stubbs said he spotted 10 pods in one sitting last week, equalling about 50 whales.

“Over an hour-and-a-half, I saw about 10 pods — you don’t know how many whales are in a pod, but I’d say on average five,” he said.

“To me, I’ve seen more whales this year than previously in all the years I’ve been watching them.”

Mr Stubbs said he’d been watching whales in Albany for a long time.

“All my life basically, I was whaling out of Albany a long time ago when it closed down,” he said.

“I’ve always sort of had a fascination with them.

“It’s interesting and I’ve always been fascinated in their behaviour.” Although the whales follow a similar path every year, it’s not always smooth sailing, according to Mr Stubbs.

“They don’t take long to go around the islands and around limestone head,” he said.

“They’re heading west now and once they get around the Leeuwin, they head north.

“When they get in here, most of the whales are going past outside the islands and they sort of get trapped in here, in the bay, and they get a bit confused.”

Mr Stubbs said watching the whales as they cruised up the coast had become a part of his daily routine.

“It’s fascinating to just sit here and observe,” he said.

A Department of Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman said there had been a high number of whale sightings reported this season.

Whale-watching season runs from June-October.