{"id":166005,"date":"2025-08-22T08:16:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T08:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/166005\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T08:16:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T08:16:16","slug":"dramatic-rebound-for-southern-right-whale-numbers-along-great-australian-bight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/166005\/","title":{"rendered":"Dramatic rebound for southern right whale numbers along Great Australian Bight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers say it has been one of the best years in recent history for southern right whale numbers in the Great Australian Bight (GAB).<\/p>\n

An annual count of the species on Australia’s southern coast has found the mammals’ numbers are the strongest they have been in almost a decade, despite historical declines.<\/p>\n

Researchers counted 140 whales \u2014 mostly mothers and their calves \u2014 at Head of Bight, the northernmost point of the GAB and the area endangered southern right whales visit every year to give birth.<\/p>\n

A further 18 were found in nearby Fowlers Bay, in the far west of South Australia, and another eight at Encounter Bay on the Fleurieu Peninsula, south of Adelaide.<\/p>\n

\"two<\/p>\n

Southern right whales play at Head of Bight earlier this month. (Supplied: Richard Twist\/ Current Environmental)<\/p>\n

Last year, there were 114 whales at Head of Bight.<\/p>\n

Researchers said this year’s results were a relief because there had been signs of declines in births in recent years, after decades of improvement.<\/p>\n

Australian Right Whale Research Program chief scientist Claire Charlton said it was a relief for the population that it was a good year.<\/p>\n

“We haven’t had numbers this strong since 2016, so it’s really exciting,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

she said.<\/p>\n

While a toxic algal bloom is having a devastating effect on marine life<\/a> in some areas of South Australia’s coast, it has not yet been detected in the far west of the state where most whales congregate.<\/p>\n

The official advice is that the bloom, Karenia mikimotoi, is not toxic to mammals.<\/p>\n

However, dead sea mammals have been found washed up along some parts of the coast, including dolphins and sea lions.<\/p>\n

From sleeping bags to drones and Starlink<\/p>\n

This year marks 30 years since the establishment of the Great Australian Bight Marine Reserve \u2014 a vast protected ocean area which stretches across South Australia and Western Australia’s coastlines that was created in 1995 largely to foster research on southern right whales.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Claire Charlton says while numbers are strong this year, she has long-term concerns. (Supplied: Richard Twist\/ Current Environmental)<\/p>\n

Dr Charlton said she had seen a change in whale numbers and how they were counted in the 18 years she had been part of the conservation effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“The data collection back in the early 90s involved processing film in a sleeping bag whilst camping at the back of the sand dunes,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dr Charlton said.<\/p>\n

“It certainly has progressed now to operating Starlink, flying drones, using photogrammetry.<\/p>\n

She said there were years in the early 90s when conservationists had counted 18 mums and calves.<\/p>\n

“This year we’ve recorded 70 mums and calves,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Researchers look for southern right whales at Head of Bight. (Supplied: Richard Twist\/ Current Environmental)<\/p>\n

“It really is a world-class example of how science-based research and good marine park management, plus geographical isolation and low population, can add up into a real success story.<\/p>\n

“We need to keep conserving the oceans and protect them while they are in our backyard \u2026 and protect them when they’re outside of our backyard through management of krill fisheries and climate.”<\/p>\n

Counting of the southern right whales pre-dates the GAB Marine Reserve.<\/p>\n

A whale named Topsy is currently at the Head of Bight, having first been spotted with a calf in 1984.<\/p>\n

Taking into account the average age of sexual maturation, Topsy would likely be in her 50s.<\/p>\n

Another female has returned to the Bight for the 12th time to give birth.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

About 5 per cent of southern rights are white. This year, researchers spotted a mother and calf. (Supplied: Richard Twist\/ Current Environmental)<\/p>\n

Southern right whales are identified by callosities on their heads, where they have unique patterns somewhat similar to fingerprints.<\/p>\n

A publicly available national southern right whale photo identification catalogue now has over 2,500 known individuals.<\/p>\n

Challenges ahead<\/p>\n

Counting the whales and the subsequent conservation work is part of a joint project from Curtin University, Flinders University and the Minderoo Foundation.<\/p>\n

Two studies published in recent weeks detailed the success of conservation at the GAB Marine Reserve, but also concerns for the years ahead.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Bridgette O’Shannessy has co-authored of one of several studies into southern right whales. (Supplied: Richard Twist, Current Environmental)<\/p>\n

“Our data shows rapid recolonisation at Fowlers Bay \u2014 one of the fastest growth rates for southern right whales anywhere in the world,” said co-author Bridgette O’Shannessy in one of the studies.<\/p>\n

“This demonstrates the power of marine protected areas, but also the need for ongoing threat mitigation for the Australian population.<\/p>\n

“We are starting to see some long-term reduction in reproductive success and growth.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The recently slowed population growth is likely linked to climate change, with researchers believing a decline in reproductive cycles is due to a lack of available prey.<\/p>\n

\"Man<\/p>\n

Rod\u00a0Keogh films whales and calves for a live social media video every morning during whale season. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)<\/p>\n

The bumper birthing year comes as South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water (DEW) prepares to introduce whale nursery protection<\/a> areas at Fowlers Bay and Sleaford Bay, near Port Lincoln.<\/p>\n

Rod Keogh has run whale tours at Fowlers Bay for 17 years, and is required to stay a minimum of 100 metres from whales.<\/p>\n

The whale nursery protection areas come into effect from September 1, and mean tourist boats will need to stay at least 300m from whales.<\/p>\n

Dr Charlton said she believed losing Mr Keogh’s tours would have a negative impact on the protection of the whales.<\/p>\n

“If the tourist operations here at Fowlers Bay weren’t to continue, that would be a real loss for the protection and the advocacy of southern right whales here,” she said.<\/p>\n

“EP Cruises are best practice operators; they’re extremely conscientious around the whales.<\/p>\n

“The success of a long-term research program such as this really relies on community \u2014 citizen scientists, the Yalata Anangu people who we work really closely with, the funders, the researchers and tourists.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Researchers say it has been one of the best years in recent history for southern right whale numbers…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":166006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[746,95507,159,95508,95505,95506,67,132,68,95511,95509,95510],"class_list":{"0":"post-166005","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-great-australian-bight","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-south-australia-whale-numbers","12":"tag-southern-right-whale-numbers","13":"tag-southern-right-whales","14":"tag-united-states","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-us","17":"tag-whale-conservation-areas-south-australia","18":"tag-where-to-see-whales-south-australia","19":"tag-where-to-see-whales-western-australia"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115071430430333621","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}