See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

‘It’s hump day!’ Whale at Circular Quay stops ferries

SYDNEY HARBOUR, NEW SOUTH WALES, JUL 16 – NSW maritime crews escorted a humpback whale out of Sydney Harbour after it delayed ferry services during its migration among 40,000 whales heading to Queensland, officials said.

  • A juvenile humpback whale entered Sydney Harbour on Wednesday morning, causing ferries to pause their operations near Circular Quay.
  • During its usual northward migration to Queensland, the whale appears to have deviated from its route, leading wildlife and maritime personnel to guide it safely through the harbour.
  • Transport for NSW managed ferry and boat traffic, establishing exclusion zones and advising boaters to keep minimum distances to protect the whale and public safety.
  • Marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta described the event as a "navigational nightmare" while noting the whale appeared healthy and undisturbed as it dazzled tourists at Circular Quay.
  • The incident illustrates the regular yet complex interaction between migrating humpbacks and urban waterways, highlighting the need for coordinated wildlife and transport management.
Insights by Ground AI
Does this summary seem wrong?

11 Articles

In Australia, the inhabitants of Sydney had the pleasure, on 16 July, of being able to see, very close to the coast, a humpback whale, which ventured to the bay that is the center of the city. In this area, which is very frequented by boats, whether it is simple zodiacs, ferries or even plain cruise ships, the whale remained all day, before reaching the sea.

·Paris, France
Read Full Article
Lean Right

A young humpback whale swims to Sydney's main ferry station. Whale experts are amazed at how curious the animal is.

·Vienna, Austria
Read Full Article

"Navigation problems" today for the ferries and the boats in the port of Sydney because of a "curious" megatera that has distanced itself from its usual migratory route: it is reported by the Guardian, who publishes a video of the cetacean while swimming undisturbed in the center of the Australian port. A young specimen of this mammal has been spotted by the commuters of a port ferry service near Fort Denison around 8:00 in the morning. He swam …

·Italy
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
Factuality

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

Sydney Morning Herald broke the news in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
Sources are mostly out of (0)