On Seeing Southern Right Whales Poem by Francis Duggan

The day the southern right whales passed by the Nobbies they surfaced quite close to the shore
Three giants of the southern oceans each weighing thirty tons maybe more
Their tails were as large as a small boat the biggest creatures in real life that I'd ever seen
Though I'm not a man of the ocean and to ways of the sea creatures I'm rather green.

The great sea mammals the humpback and blue whales are creatures I yet have to see
Like I say I'm not a man of saltwater and I don't venture far out to sea
But they are far bigger and heavier than right whales and right whales seem huge in my eyes
The blues and humpbacks must look gigantic great creatures of enormous size.

As I stood on a cliff overlooking the sea at the Nobbies three southern right whales passed by
Three giants of the southern oceans and I'll remember till the day that I die
That their tails were as large as a small boat such things
one don't see every day
And something that I will long remember for such memories don't fade away.