An unintended effect of two new elevated whale-watching platforms at North Head in Sydney’s Manly has been the ability of visitors to speak whale, just like Dory in the hit film Finding Nemo. Dr Shannon Foster, a Sydney D’harawal saltwater knowledge keeper, said wind, acoustics and Country had wrought magic on the popular tourist spot where Indigenous people had gathered for millennia to sing whales to safety. Foster encouraged members of the public to sing or talk in the middle of the small circle on the new south-facing lookout, named Burragula in a reference to the Indigenous words for sunset and the local bandicoots.
“Whoo,” she called, channelling Dory speaking whale. “There’s this amazing effect. My voice right now is echoing back to me in the most beautiful way.
It’s creating these kinds of weird vibrations that go right through your whole body.” American tourist Sarah Leonard erupted in laughter and shock after experiencing the effect. “You gotta hear it buddy,” Leonard said to her son.
“You’ll love it.” Surprising visitors and its architects, the vibrations and echo cannot be detected by anyone outside the circle. “When you step off the circle, you can’t hear it any more,” she said.
Foster said Country had a way of mixing magic and humour. “If you leave space for Country, Country will speak back to you. Even in whale.
Country and culture have a great sense of humour.” Bushfires in 2020 and rock falls in 2016 resulted in the closure.