Far fewer southern right whales are being spotted off Western Australia's Great Southern coast this winter compared to last year's bumper season.
Southern rights migrate to birth in sheltered bays off southern WA between July and October, but this year they've proven to be a rare sight for Albany's avid whale spotting community.
Veteran whale tour operator Paul Guest said he believed numbers were down due to high rainfall over the catchment, which had sent extra fresh water into King George Sound.
"I wouldn't expect any self-respecting whale to be in water that you can't see 600 millimetres away in," he said.
"I'm not surprised — I've seen it before.
"It makes our job pretty hard."
Whale numbers down on last year
Mr Guest said he saw 14 southern right whales at once in the Ataturk Channel, between King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour, last year.
This year he would be happy to see one.
"I'm not sure where the whales are," he said.
"They did say they had trouble counting them this year due to the weather conditions.
"I don't know — I'd love someone to come up with a lot of money and do some research."
Southern right whales are considered to be an endangered species, having been hunted to the brink of extinction up until the 1970s.
There are thought to be just 3,500 individuals in the Australian population, and only about 10,000 globally.
Fewer sightings due to breeding cycle
Albany marine biologist Kirsty Alexander said the lack of sightings could be due to the whales' three-year breeding cycle.
"The primary breeding cohort come up in a certain year, and that was last year for us in Albany," she said.
"There are certainly less this year.
"In another two seasons we would place a bet on the fact that it will also be a good year … it was the same story if we step back again to 2016."
Ms Alexander said the southern rights had most likely remained further south in feeding grounds, but more research was needed on their exact whereabouts.
She said four mother and calf pairs were occasionally visiting King George Sound.
But that was less than last year, when a dozen southern right whales were spotted together.
Albany whale tour operator Mark Muscat, however, told the ABC he spotted three pairs of southern right whales in the King George Sound yesterday.
He said they were the first he'd seen in the past month and only his second sighting this season.
