This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Whales never cease to amaze me. After nearly two decades of studying these majestic mammals, I've learned every whale season is slightly different.
Each migration along Australia's east coast varies in its timing and the number of whale sightings. But the 2026 whale season is unlike any other I've witnessed. Low humpback whale numbers and rare encounters with elusive false killer whales are just two reasons why.
Every year, humpback whales embark on one of the longest migrations of any mammal. After feeding on Antarctic krill throughout the Southern Hemisphere summer, they start traveling north between April and May. By the end of November, most have returned south again.
During their journey, whales socialize, compete and even sing. They perform courtship and mating behaviors, with female whales giving birth to and nursing calves as they travel. For Indigenous Australians, the humpback whale migration is an ever-evolving songline, a word Indigenous Australians use to describe cultural pathways that connect traditional sites.
Through this songline, older, more experienced whales share knowledge with younger whales, helping the next generation adapt to changing ocean conditions, including warming sea temperatures and changes in sea ice. This whale season has been unusual for two main reasons. In the waters off eastern Australia, humpback whales have traveled much farther away from the coast this year.
On Queensland's Sunshine Coast, whale-watching operators have observed distant offshore migrations and noticeably less surface activity. Similar reports have come from Coffs Harbour and the Whitsundays. Operators have also seen fewer whales in Western Australia than in previous years.
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