OUR WHALE WARRIOR
Walls Budding environmentalist Bobby the of Mudgeeraba has been crowned Coast’s first whale warrior.
SPIRIT of Gold Coast Whale Watching has announced the winner of its search for the city’s first Young Whale Warrior.
Budding environmentalist Bobby Walls, of Mudgeeraba, is set to take his passion for the majestic marine mammals to new depths after being crowned the inaugural winner from an impressive pool of entries by students at primary schools across the Gold Coast.
As the Young Whale Warrior, Bobby, 10, will spend an ultimate day out on the Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching boat with on-board marine biologist Zara King, who will share insight into the enigmatic ocean creatures as they traverse Australia’s incredible humpback highway.
The Clover Hill State School student said he was excited to be the Gold Coast’s first Young Whale Warrior.
“I love both land and marine life which is why I entered,” he said. “Whales are one of my favourite animals and I’m super passionate about making sure we protect them, which I think starts on land making sure we are recycling and caring for the environment.
“I can’t wait to learn more from Zara about humpback whales and hopefully spot Migaloo on his journey back to Antarctica.”
Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching spokeswoman Michele Del-Bianco said she was impressed with the quality of entries from 25 children aged between 8 and 12, who each submitted a drawing, video or written piece demonstrating their love for the gentle giants of the ocean.
“As longstanding operators in the Gold Coast whale watching industry, we believe it’s important to encourage the next generation of environmentalists, marine biologists and activists,” Ms Del-Bianco said.
“It was so inspiring to see the level of passion for the world around us among all our entrants, and we would like to thank every student who expressed their interest in becoming our first Young Whale Warrior.
“We congratulate our winner, Bobby, who demonstrated a true desire to turn that passion into action, and we look forward to creating opportunities for him to connect with, and learn to protect, these amazing animals we are blessed to witness firsthand here on the east coast,” she said.
Ms King said she was heartened by the response to the Young Whale Warrior search, which kicked off with a series of educational talks at local schools and aimed to nurture the Coast’s next generation of marine life guardianship and conservation.
“To see young ones with that passion is awesome because at that age they are happy to learn,” Ms King said.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to pass on a bit of insight to a young one who has already demonstrated that they are incredibly passionate about the environment. Then hopefully they can start a chain of awareness that is going to secure a sustainable future for these marine animals.”
Ms King said a highlight of her job with Spirit of Gold Coast was witnessing the joy as guests experienced whales passing the boat on their annual migration along the coast.
“So many young ones have never seen a whale in the wild, and I am really looking forward to being able to share this incredible experience with our Young Whale Warrior,” Ms King said.
“I can’t wait to see the look on their face when we see a whale for the first time because it is always a priceless moment.”
Ms King said it was vital to nurture and develop a love for marine life from a young age.
“This is an opportunity for young ones to truly appreciate the fact that these amazing animals were nearly extinct in the 1960s,” she said.
“We now can appreciate that they have survived so we can see them in the wild today.
“This highlights the role our youth play in protecting the future health of our oceans and marine life.”