It's amazing the visitors to Tathra Terry Dixon meets from his back verandah.
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Whales and their calves, dolphins, even incredible sunfish have dropped in to the bay at Tathra, with Terry capturing them all from above with his drone.
Particularly special was a southern right whale on Thursday, August 4, which had a white newborn calf swimming alongside her.
Terry said he had been speaking with some whale specialists who indicated the colouring was quite rare.
"Brindle" calves are almost completely white at birth, gradually darkening to a light grey as they mature. It's reportedly present in only around four per cent of southern right whales.
Other unusual visitors to the Far South Coast were six sunfish Terry spotted on Tuesday.
The ocean sunfish, otherwise known as the common mola, is one of the heaviest known bony fish in the world. Adults can weigh anywhere up to 2000kg!
The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the world.
"I feel very lucky to live where I am," Terry said.
"I can fly out from my back verandah and down the gully to the beach, to keep away from houses.
"If there's ever something happening in the bay I'm on to it."
Terry flies a DJI Mavic Air 2 and said he always stuck to the regulations of keeping further than 100 metres from marine animals like whales.
The footage above is zoomed in after being taken from that height.
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Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
