Southern Legacy
 
A travel formation with the calf tracking behind the mother, holding a consistent line as they move north through clear water. It reads like a quiet lesson in real time: follow the heading, match the pace, and stay close, exactly how calves build confidence while still relying on the mother’s lead.
 
⭐About this Pair⭐
 
This specific southern right whale mother and calf became known along the NSW coastline in 2025 and were significant as the first confirmed southern right whale mother and calf seen on the east  coast during the 2025 season. She was first seen early in the season off Wollongong travelling south alone. Weeks later she returned with a newborn calf, carrying a clear scar along the right side of her body that appeared as if she had been stuck by a boat. By mid-July they were moving north slowly, staying close to the coastline, when they were filmed being hit by a small tinnie near Coledale. They resurfaced and seemed unaffected, later spending a couple of days off Bondi Beach where many people were able to see them from shore. A few days after that, I relocated them off the Central Coast near Norah Head, where they spent the day in calm, clear water off Budgewoi. I was standing on the sand at the water’s edge while they rested no more than twenty metres away. I followed their movement from Norah Head through to Newcastle, contacting ORRCA each time I found them so their progress north could be monitored.