Who wants to see a Southern Right baby whale being born?
Hundreds of whalewatchers on Sydney's northern beaches, that's who.
The only problem is nobody is actually sure whether the 16m Southern Right that entertained large crowds close to shore is actually female, let alone pregnant.
And the experts have only muddied the waters.
"We doubt that she is going to give birth. It's very unlikely that she would birth in as open a place as Warriewood (beach)," said a NSW Environment and Heritage office spokesperson.
But we might be in for a surprise on Friday morning.
"If she is to go into labor, I expect it to happen overnight and in more sheltered waters," said Shona Lorigan from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA).
"It is the season for whales to be birthing, and we had a similar situation on Monday with a mother and calf discovered off the Central Coast."
The Southern Right was spotted shortly after 7am on Thursday less than 100m from the beach.
The whale's frequent calls and frisky tail activity excited scores of locals and whalewatchers who gathered at the shoreline over the course of the day.
"The headland is the place to be, you'll get really good views of the whale," advised Ms Lorigan.
But some chased a better vantage despite warnings to give the animal a wide berth.
Curious swimmers and surfers couldn't help themselves, paddling out to visit the creature.
"We need to give her plenty of space, at least 100m," said Ronny Ling, President of ORRCA.
"It's not just for the whale's safety, it's also about people's own safety."
Southern Rights are well known for swimming close to the shoreline.
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