Latest news with #BarryMcGovern
Perth Now
21-07-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Whale and calf hit by speedboat off east coast
Boat carrying three passengers hits calf off NSW coast. Australian boaties have been urged to remain vigilant after three people aboard a speedboat collided with a whale and its calf south of Sydney. Troublesome vision was captured of a southern right whale and its calf south in waters off Stanwell Park on Saturday afternoon. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Speedboat whale collision The pair were swimming just beneath the surface when they were hit by the boat. It is understood both the whale and calf escaped without major injuries. The whales have just begun their annual migration and will continue travelling north this week. The mother was first detected off Bass Point on June 12 without the calf, and then near Meriumbula on July 10 with her baby. Whale expert Dr Barry McGovern from Pacific Whales Foundation said southern right whales often stay just below the surface and can be very hard to spot. 'They also don't have dorsal fins like your humpback whales so they can be really difficult to see and if you're travelling at speed it can be very easy to miss them, to not see them,' he said. 'The larger boats can really impact them. 'Whales can suffer some serious injuries from vessel collisions and in some cases they can be fatal, particularly with the larger vessels.' A southern right whale and her calf were hit by a speedboat off Sydney's south coast. Credit: 7NEWS The whales managed to avoid injury. Credit: 7NEWS He urged any boaties off Sydney's coast to stay vigilant and said the best thing to do is to slow down if they are travelling through the area. 'If you're in an area where you know there are whales, or people have seen whales previously, it's best to keep it slow,' McGovern said. 'If there's whales below, keep it slow — that's what we always say. 'Our research has shown boats (that) are travelling less than 12 knots, which is about 22km/h, there's a much lower chance of hitting a whale. 'It allows you to see if the whales are there in the first place and even if there is a collision, at the slower speeds, the injuries are less likely to be as severe.' There is an exclusion zone of 300m for whales with calves, and 100m for whales without newborns. This not only applies to vessels in the water but also drones in the air. 'While seeing one in Sydney is exciting, it's important to remember that this whale and her calf must be given space and quiet as they travel north,' NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Natasha Funke said. 'Southern right whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference, so we encourage people to enjoy this spectacle from land or a safe distance on the water.' A list of national park viewing spots to watch the whales as they migrate is available on the NPWS website.
7NEWS
21-07-2025
- General
- 7NEWS
Southern right whale and calf hit by speedboat off Sydney's south coast
Australian boaties have been urged to remain vigilant after three people aboard a speedboat collided with a whale and its calf south of Sydney. Troublesome vision was captured of a southern right whale and its calf south in waters off Stanwell Park on Saturday afternoon. The pair were swimming just beneath the surface when they were hit by the boat. It is understood both the whale and calf escaped without major injuries. The whales have just begun their annual migration and will continue travelling north this week. The mother was first detected off Bass Point on June 12 without the calf, and then near Meriumbula on July 10 with her baby. Whale expert Dr Barry McGovern from Pacific Whales Foundation said southern right whales often stay just below the surface and can be very hard to spot. 'They also don't have dorsal fins like your humpback whales so they can be really difficult to see and if you're travelling at speed it can be very easy to miss them, to not see them,' he said. 'The larger boats can really impact them. 'Whales can suffer some serious injuries from vessel collisions and in some cases they can be fatal, particularly with the larger vessels.' He urged any boaties off Sydney's coast to stay vigilant and said the best thing to do is to slow down if they are travelling through the area. 'If you're in an area where you know there are whales, or people have seen whales previously, it's best to keep it slow,' McGovern said. 'If there's whales below, keep it slow — that's what we always say. 'Our research has shown boats (that) are travelling less than 12 knots, which is about 22km/h, there's a much lower chance of hitting a whale. 'It allows you to see if the whales are there in the first place and even if there is a collision, at the slower speeds, the injuries are less likely to be as severe.' There is an exclusion zone of 300m for whales with calves, and 100m for whales without newborns. This not only applies to vessels in the water but also drones in the air. 'While seeing one in Sydney is exciting, it's important to remember that this whale and her calf must be given space and quiet as they travel north,' NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Natasha Funke said. 'Southern right whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference, so we encourage people to enjoy this spectacle from land or a safe distance on the water.' .
Irish Examiner
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Theatre review: A Midsummer Night's Dream beguiles in Lismore
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Lismore; County Waterford ★★★★★ With an idyllic backdrop of a castle worthy of a fairytale, Britten's Shakespearean opera delving into an enchanted world of mischief and magic was an ideal choice for the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. Many elements combined to beguile in this production on a summer night in Lismore, not least the weather which stayed fair throughout. Director Patrick Mason's production sets the drama in two eras. The fairies are dressed in Elizabethan costumes, shimmering in silver while the mortal lovers evoke the 60s — the decade when the opera premiered at Aldeburgh. The 'rustic craftsmen' don bowler hats for a Morris dance accompanied by a fairy recorder ensemble, (the excellent Piccolo Lasso Children's Chorus). Festival director, Dieter Kaegi assembled a large ensemble of young Irish and international artists active in the European opera scene. Actor, Barry McGovern adds gravitas in the speaking role of Puck. Barry McGovern as Puck. Picture: Frances Marshall Underpinning the drama, the Irish Chamber Orchestra under David Brophy was terrific, giving a solid instrumental foundation throughout. It was good to see an ensemble back in front of the singers and not tucked away to the side. There is much exposed writing for solo instruments; trumpet and horns excelled — and the opening bass glissandi set the mood of magic and menace from the opening bars. Aside from the headline opera productions, there was much to enjoy with an attractive programme of events over the week. At St Carthage's Cathedral, baritone Rory Dunne and soprano Amy Hewitt impressed in the rarely heard one act operetta; The Tinker and the Fairy with music by Michele Esposito and libretto by Douglas Hyde. Later, writer George Bernard Shaw was the focus of an entertaining programme featuring the voices of Gemma Ní Bhriain and Sean Tester. While the closing numbers from My Fair Lady would have benefitted from a lighter touch, the acerbic wit of Shaw's reviews and the songs of Oscar Straus from The Chocolate Soldier drew the loudest cheers from the house. It is good to see the festival continue to build momentum in its 15th year in one of Ireland's most beautiful settings.
