Warrnambool Whales Page Making a Splash

31st July 2025 ALJ331

Fiona Van Kempton’s interest in the whales began in the early 2000s when her food van was stationed at the whale viewing platform on weekends. She is now helping locals and tourists alike get a glimpse of these giant mammals.

Warrnambool winters are known for their blistering winds, and it might not seem like the typical tourist attraction. Yet the presence of Southern Right whales in the area charms both locals and visitors. These giant mammals come to Logans Beach Whale nursery to have their calves between June and September each year. Visitors can access a large viewing platform which showcases beach and its inhabitants.

The Warrnambool Whales group on Facebook was established in 2020 by Ms. Van Kempton to help more people catch a glimpse of the whales. “People were travelling from Melbourne and the whales were here, but they didn’t know where to look for them,” says Van Kempton “[the page] gives visitors information so that they’ve got more chance of actually seeing the whales.”

The following on the page has grown to over 22,500, which Van Kempton believes is a group effort. “I’ve got a lot of amateur photographers, they are at the platform all the time, they are putting their photos up. It’s really cool and considering it only gets used probably three months of the year, it’s really grown and it’s because of all the nice footage and information given by our members.”

When asked why people are so fascinated by the whales, Van Kempton says that they are very special creatures, “It’s just majestic, you have a 20 metre mammal that weighs up to 80 tonnes and it starts breeching out of the water.”

“The other thing is they come in so close at the Logan’s Beach. You can see the interactions between the cow and calf during the season.”

The last few whale seasons have been a little light on. “Unfortunately, this year we are not having much luck,” says Van Kempton “We had Tripod come in early in the season and then she came back with a calf. She stayed for I think six or seven days but she hasn’t been seen for about a week now so I think she’s gone.” One thing for sure is that if the whales do return this season, the Warrnambool Whales group will be one of the first to know.