Published 07:00 IST, September 13th 2020
Australia: Humpback whales make a rare appearance in Kakadu Park's Alligator River
Australian authorities have put an exclusion zone starting from the East Alligator River to about 30kms upstream for the welfare of the whale and public safety
For the first time in Australia, humpback whales have been spotted in the East Alligator River of Kakadu National Park. According to ABC News reports, the national park staff monitored the animals as they arrived over weeks and just one whale remained in the park as of Thursday, September 10.
Australian authorities have put an exclusion zone starting from the East Alligator River to about 30kms upstream for the welfare of the whale and people's safety.
Humpback whales spotted
Parks Australia is reported to have said in a statement that it was working with the government to find more data. As per reports, the statement states that this is the first time such an incident has happened and an expert group has been put up to monitor the whale and prepare for an intervention, if needed.
The statement also mentioned that the authorities want to avoid possible collision between the whales and boats in the region, especially in regions of zero visibility and high crocodiles presence in the water. It states that the best case scenario for the whales would be to make their way through the sea.
Humpback whale accidents on the rise
In a separate incident earlier, a woman suffered injuries after being struck by a humpback whale in Australia’s Ningaloo Reef. The 30-year-old woman was snorkelling near the reef when she was approached by a humpback whale and its calf. The woman was flown to Royal Perth Hospital with rib fractures after being hit by the 50 feet mother whale.
While speaking to an Australian media outlet, the woman said that when she was snorkelling, the calf decided to come back and it ended up being between the touring group. She added that the mother whale went into protective mode and swung back. In a bid to put herself between the touring group and the calf, the gigantic whale swung her fin which hit the woman. The doctors are reported to have said that the woman has suffered relatively minor injuries and was expected to make a full recovery.
Meanwhile, Western Australia’s Department Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) confirmed the incident. As per reports, DBCA mentioned that it licensed commercial tours in the area, including in-water interactions with humpback whales and whale sharks.
(Image Credits: Unsplash)
Updated 07:00 IST, September 13th 2020