TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A humpback whale and her calf were spotted off the coast of Yanliao, Hualien by a whale-watching tour on Monday (April 3).

The sighting marks the second time in two weeks that a mother and her calf have been spotted this spring. The previous sighting, which happened on March 19, involved a different mother and calf, reported CNA.



Earlier in March, a family of humpback whales, although without any calves, was also spotted about 20 km from the coast of Lanyu. That sighting marked the first time in two years that humpback whales were spotted in waters near Taiwan, according to the Ocean Conservation Administration.



Now, less than a month later, two mother-calf pairs have been spotted in the region. The repeated sightings are a good sign that the population of humpback whales is healthy and growing. 

The owner of a whale-watching company in Hualien, Lu She-ming (呂世明), explained that the whales typically live in polar and temperate regions. However, during the spring, humpbacks are known to transit through waters near Taiwan’s southeast coast as they follow the Kuroshio Current northwards.

Given that most whale-watching tours are offered in late spring and summer, the window for tourists to see humpback whales in the region is very slim. With three humpback sightings recorded this year, it has already been an exceptional season for whale watching.