Whale season well underway as Southern right whales and calves gather in their dozens at Point Ann

Whales have returned to the Great Southern coast for the season and local Richard Poulish saw all the action at Point Ann this weekend.

Poulish drove out to Point Ann on Sunday and captured some stunning drone shots of southern rights and their calves taking refuge in the calm waters off Point Ann, about 65km north-east of Bremer Bay in the middle of the Fitzgerald River National Park.

Southern rights are regularly seen along the Great Southern coast between June and October, often with young calves.

The whales, which can grow up to 80 tonnes and 18m long, migrate from Antarctica at the start of winter to birth their calves and will stay in the warmer waters close to the coast for several months.

Point Ann has a purpose-built whale watching platform which is popular with many keen-eyed whale watchers and photographers when the southern rights are close to shore with their babies.

Poulish’s drone was able to spot plenty of mother-and-calf pairs in the sheltered bay.

“We got really lucky with the weather, over the weekend and Monday was just fantastic out there,” he said.

“There is plenty going on in the water out that way. We saw seals in the rocks and the kelp beds there, dolphins and big schools of salmon in around Bremer.

“While we were there, there were at least a dozen southern rights hanging out in the bay — Point Ann is a bit of a nursery ground for them so there were plenty of mums and calves.

“There was one we saw that was laying in the water upside down, and I was getting a bit worried but then I looked into it a bit more and found out that they sometimes lay upside down to rest so their calves don’t bother them as much.

“I’m surprised they’re still hanging around out that way, usually they would have moved off by no, but they seem to be content hanging out there for a bit longer.

“Point Ann is just one of the most beautiful parts of the world and it’s always great to see the whales there.”