Nine sperm whales spotted around Hualien ahead of regular season

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) Nine sperm whales were located by a whale watching vessel outside of Hualien on Sunday ahead of their regular migratory season, a local whale watching operator said Monday.

Turumoan Whale Watching Co.'s Lu Shih-ming (呂世明) said that the whales were spotted during an outing in waters near the Qingshui Cliff in the county's Xiulin Township on Sunday.

Lu said the chance encounter transpired during a Sunday excursion led by renowned Taiwanese marine biologist Liao Hung-chi (廖鴻基) with volunteers of the Taiwan Marine Education Center.

According to Lu, the group's five-hour journey was akin to witnessing a show performed by marine life, with passengers on Lu's vessel spotting jumping spinner dolphins, a sizable population of Fraser's dolphins, and airborne flying fish.

The stars of the tour, however, were nine sperm whales, said Lu, who noted they normally tend to appear around Taiwan's waters between June and July.

The mammals' early arrival could be due to several factors, including a change in oceanic temperatures, the earthquake that hit the county in April, and food groups of the whales concentrating in the area, Lu said.

"This was a rare experience," Liao said of their trip. "We saw a lot of marine life and collected a lot of valuable audio recordings and data that could be significant for future marine research."

The outing was a part of a sperm whale research program initiated by the Ilha Formosa Association and supported by both the Chen-Yung Foundation and the Ocean Conservation Administration.

The program goes on 10 explorative trips each season to conduct research and document marine biology.

With sperm whales returning ahead of schedule, Lu urged people interested in marine life to visit Hualien, which has seen a decline in tourism since the April 3 earthquake devastated parts of the eastern Taiwan county.

He said his company has added whale watching experiences this year, with each five-hour trip opened to up to 20 people.