Pregnant whale drawing crowds in Sydney Harbor

August 23, 1999
Web posted at: 9:13 p.m. EDT (0113 GMT)

SYDNEY, Australia -- The 2000 Olympics are still a year away, but there's an undeniable tourist attraction in Australia that has thousands flocking to Sydney Harbor right now.

A pregnant Southern right whale, first spotted last Wednesday, has migrated into the channel. It appears she intends to remain, possibly until she calves.

Experts theorize the rare whale was migrating south on an annual trek toward Antarctica. They don't know what made her stop off in the warm waters of Sydney Harbor, on the east coast of Australia.

Southern right whale females measure approximately 54 feet (16.5 m) long and weigh approximately 45 tons (41,000 kg). On average, they reproduce every 3 years, usually giving birth to one calf.

Whalers called the creatures right whales because they were the "right" ones, or the best whales to kill. They are especially desirable because of a large amount of fat which made them float after harpooning, making them easy to collect. Their large size makes the gentle animals very slow swimmers.

Their oil was put to many uses, including heating and cosmetics.

This mother-to-be, affectionately nicknamed "Alex," is drawing thousands to Sydney's waters. If she does stay and calve, there are likely to be many more sightseers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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