Tuross Head resident Maree Jackson has been a citizen scientist taking photos of southern right whales and logging them with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) since the early 2000s.
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This week her posting on Facebook has gone gangbusters as sightings of a rare white humpback whale were reported off Narooma on Sunday, May 26.
Additionally Maree posted that two blue whales had been spotted in the waters of Bermagui on Friday, May 24.
The sighting was logged by pilots Todd Clifford and Matthew Allen of Merit Aviation and Merimbula Air Services, who often spot whales and report sightings to Maree.
Of course, everybody's mind turns to that most famous white whale Migaloo, who was first spotted in 1991. It has been a few years since a verified sighting of the whale.
Maree said it was impossible to know if Sunday's sighting was Migaloo, who was seen with another humpback. The pilots were unable to take photos at the time.
She said that if it was Migaloo it was possible that the other whale was Milo, Migaloo's partner, but without being able to verify the size of the animals, it was impossible to know.
Well into the northern migration period for humpbacks, Maree also reported seeing a pod of 20 or so the day before, about seven kilometres off Tuross Head.
Southern right whales are her passion though, and these animals will not be seen in south coast waters until later in the season, around July.
Much slower moving, these animals were hunted to the brink of extinction. Now they are endangered and sightings are rare with Maree only spotting three last season.
Tending to stay closer to the shoreline, and being slow moving, the southern right's are particularly vulnerable to boat strikes.
Though southern rights and humpbacks are similar in size, the former has smaller, rounder flippers with no dorsal fin. Their flukes are usually black and their blow, or spray, is a v-shape.
Each year Maree conducts the Tuross Head Whale Census Day, whereby she photographs and logs passing whales from One Tree Point from dawn till dusk.
This year Maree will be conducting the census on Sunday, June 30. The community is invited to bring their cameras and binoculars and join her.
