UPDATE MONDAY MAY 26:
It was another bumper weekend for whale watchers who spotted 19 of the giant mammals making their way up the coast to warmer waters.
Watchers saw nine on Saturday and 10 on Sunday from Cape Solander, Kurnell.
Two whales were spotted on Monday morning.
National Parks and Wildlife Service volunteer and official whales counter, Wayne Reynolds, said the tally, included a couple of minke whales.
‘‘The others were humpbacks,’’ he said.
How many whales have you seen?
Earlier story:
The renovated whale watching platform at Cape Solander, Kurnell, will be ready for the public on the May 30-June 1 weekend, although a veteran whale watcher said it should have been ready this weekend.
National Parks and Wildlife Service volunteer, Wayne Reynolds, who counts whales, is disappointed that his favourite vantage point could not be used for the ‘‘agreed’’ date — May 24 — to the season’s start.
Mr Reynolds said that although there was a need to upgrade the open-air steel platform as it was exposed to wind and weather, watchers had no other alternative than to walk along the roadway of the nearby, often crowded, car park to find other vantage points.
An Office of Environment and Heritage spokesman, Roger Bell, said the viewing platform would be in place ‘‘by May 30-June 1 for the start of the whale watching season’’.
‘‘Work began on renovating the platform three weeks ago,’’ he said.
‘‘The platform was open to the public, as usual, up until then.
‘‘We are providing better disabled access to the platform, better drainage and will incorporate new interpretation material.’’
Mr Reynolds said the whale watching season, as whales, especially humpbacks, migrate north to warmer waters, would end on July 31.
When do you think the viewing platform should have been opened?
Or click on the comment link below to tell us how many whales you've seen so far.
