Whale research and conservation

Every year Humpback whales migrate through eastern Australian. Little is known about heir migratory patterns, distribution, feeding habits and their interaction with boats during their journeys.

Only detailed knowledge of the animals’ use of their ocean habitat will allow us to protect them in their natural environment and regulate the impact of our own activities such as fishing, boating and commercial whale watch operations.

Tracking Humpback whales

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife funds satellite tracking of migrating Humpbacks to collect data on individual whales over a period of six months. Scientists will record the whales’ surfacing rate, their swim speed and their use of critical habitat. From July 2006 you will be able to follow the movements of the tagged whales on the national parks web-site.

On the basis of this data scientists will make recommendations for management of human activities in the coastal waters of NSW

Whale Rescue Kit

The Mid North Coast Region of the NPWS responds to numerous marine mammal rescues from seal haul-outs and single animal strandings to multiple animal strandings.

The weather and environmental conditions are often very hostile and the logistics of rescue operations can be difficult. Crowd control, portable lighting, adequate heating and protective clothing for staff and volunteers are often required, along with a base on the beach for efficient coordination of the rescue operation.

With Foundation funding NPWS Ranger Eric Claussen designed and developed a whale rescue trailer to ensure successful whale rescues.

The trailer, specially designed for beach operations, is essential for relocating whales from the stranding site to the rehabilitation area. The canopy doubles as a portable shelter, which can be used to protect the whale from the elements or alternatively it can become the control point for the operation.

The trailer is self-contained and provides all the necessary equipment for successful rescues. Foundation funds were spent on essential equipment including wetsuits, a generator, barricade lines and portable bollards.

With the fit-out completed Eric Claussen is confident that future rescues will be efficiently managed. The kit will optimise the chances of successfully returning the animals to the ocean while ensuring the safety of the volunteers and personnel involved in the rescue.

Whale watch

The cliffs of Cape Solander in Botany Bay National Park are one of the prime locations to watch the whale migration. Every season a team of volunteer whale watchers monitor the northward winter migration of many hundreds of Humpback whales from Antarctica to the tropics.

The Foundation’s Sydney Committee held an Antarctica lecture evening to raise funds to support this giant of the ocean. $4,950 was given to purchase an electronic theodolite to help the Cape Solander Whale Watch volunteers collect data on the Humpback whales.

Using an offshore marker buoy as a reference point, the theodolite can estimate the distance of the whales from the shore during their migration.

By linking the theodolite to a lap top computer the position and abundance of the whales can be mapped. The count is regarded as invaluable field research by the NPWS and as an awesome natural phenomenon by the watchers.

The data will be used to support Australia’s call for the establishment of a Southern Pacific Ocean whale sanctuary that was vetoed recently by Japan and six Caribbean states.

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