It must be great to be at sea.

Today we were contacted by Matt Cross who runs Dolphin Watch Cruises at Jervis Bay.

He was bringing his beautiful boat,Tekin III, back from its annual service in Wollongong when he encountered a flock of well over a hundred albatross feeding on the carcasses of cuttlefish. This is the breeding season for these cephalopods which die shortly after mating; their surfboard-shaped bones are often found washed up on beaches and are popular as budgie food.

This feasting spectacle was followed shortly afterward by the appearance of half a dozen humpbacks who put on an amazing acrobatic display. Matt said they counted thirty breaches in about half an hour. He added that it was impossible to tell in which direction the whales were heading as they were "just going up and down."

The northward migration started early this year and we are already receiving reliable reports of whales heading back south. However seven late, north-bound stragglers were seen near Jervis Bay last Sunday with a calf that had obviously been born very recently - possibly the night before. Nobody can say for sure if they will go all the way north to the warmer waters of the tropics or if they will abbreviate their journey and head south again. It's been an interesting year so far.