Sick whale fears turns good news story
March 1, 2012
It turned out to be a happy ending for two exotic animals that greeted a Gold Coast beach today.
Local fisherman reported seeing a distressed whale close to the shoreline near Snapper Rocks in Coolangatta early this morning.
Sea World director of Marine Sciences Trevor Long jumped in a boat with three other colleagues and sped straight towards Snapper Rocks at 7.30am.
''We thought it was a sick, distressed whale,'' he said.
''But it turned out to be a 15 metre southern right whale just splashing about enjoying the warm waters.''
Mr Long said it was uncommon to spot southern right whales off the Coast and said only six had been seen in the past seven years.
''The whale had come from the southern ocean from Antarctica.''
The playful whale was not the only focus of the morning as Mr Long said a rare bird, a Southern Giant Petrel, was seen watching the whale close by.
''The bird had also come from the same area as they breed in Antarctica,'' he said.
Mr Long said the Sea World team left the 40-tonne whale to enjoy the warm waters and returned back to Sea World shortly after.
''So what we thought was going to be a bad news story turned out to be good news," he smiled.
Source: GoldCoast.com
Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz
Couple Rescues Prairie Dog From Their Dog's Mouth, Then Decides To Adopt It
My Girlfriend Gifted Me My Father’s Handwriting To Keep Forever
We Can’t Stop Looking At These Adorable Baby Loon Photos Taken On A Lake
This Couple Built A Grass Patch For Their Cat, And She’s Obsessed With It
This All-Black ‘Goth House’ In Indiana Is Going Viral. Wait Until You See The Inside
Meet Igor: The Fluffy Poltergeist Dog With The Most Unhinged Adoption Bio Ever
Baby Elephant’s Trunk Steals The Show In Adorable Treat Time Video
What Happens When A Man With A Hose Meets A Group of Kids? Pure Magic
Chicken Or Pigeon? The Internet Can’t Believe This Bird Is Real
Mom Surprises 4-Year-Old Son With First Apartment After 14 Months In Homeless Shelter
Bear Vs. Sprinkler: Hilarious Garden Moment Caught On Camera