THE Port’s replica ‘baby whale’ has finally been named ‘Watson’ in honour of environmental advocate Paul Watson.

Watson is around the size of a five year old humpback whale, with a fully grown humpback around twice the size of the replica.

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Watson the whale was donated by Gowings many years ago, who at the time were donating funds to the International Fund For Animal Welfare, assisting in a plan to stop whaling during Imagine Cruises founder Frank Future’s time with Greenpeace.

Thankfully the humpback whale population is now in recovery.

“There are not too many good news stories about the environment but the stopping of whaling that happened on the east coast in around 1999 was a really good thing for our economy,” Mr Future told News Of The Area.

There are now around 40,000 humpbacks travelling along our coast.

At the Econetwork Sustainable Futures Festival, many children suggested that the whale needed a name.

Plenty of names were put forward for the whale by both young and old.

People arriving in Port Stephens see the white whale affectionately known as Miggy (also donated to Frank by Greenpeace) for Migaloo the white whale – now they see Watson too.

“Paul Watson is one of the founders of Greenpeace and is associated with Sea Shepherd,” Mr Future said.

“If any man has helped stop whaling it is Paul Watson.

“Given that he was recently deposed from the second environmental company that he set up because he was a bit extreme, they call it.

“He only sank four Icelandic whaling ships.

“We thought that we should call our little black whale ‘Watson’ after Paul Watson,” he said.

Other submissions for the name included ‘Willy’.

By Marian SAMPSON