It would seem that whales don't suffer from Mondayitis.
A humpback whale and her calf were in fine fettle when Leader photographer John Veage photographed them about 7.45am Monday off Wanda beach.
A few readers have reported seeing the whale and baby, and some whales, closed to shore around Bate Bay this morning. It is believed the female whale may stay in the area until the calf has had enough to eat.
It's officially a record season this year for whale watching as they migrate north for the winter.
Cape Solander’s whale volunteers recorded their 2646th humpback whale before packing up their binoculars and tally books last Wednesday.
The previous best count was in 2011 when 2202 humpbacks were spotted in June and July.
Volunteer Wayne Reynolds said it wasn’t just humpbacks which had made an appearance this year, with 32 minke whales, two southern right whales and one blue whale also recorded by the sharp-eyed whale watchers.
The group even caught sight on an old friend, a female humpback nicknamed ‘‘Bladerunner’’, which was injured by a boat propeller in Broken Bay in 2001.
‘‘She did well; the scars are very noticeable,’’ Mr Reynolds said.
A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman said many whales were still passing by, a lot of them mothers with calves.
‘‘Often they will be looking to rest in quiet bays and inlets, so people are reminded to give them plenty of space while the calf suckles and prepares for its very first trip to the cold Antarctic waters for the summer,’’ the spokesman said.
How many whales have you seen this year?