Southern Right Whales in Victoria

Southern Right Whales are an important species to many First Peoples. We acknowledge the deep connections of First Peoples to Sea Country and whales across Victoria, including the Gunditjmara, Eastern Maar, Wadawurrung, Bunurong and Gunaikurnai peoples.

We recognised that the English common name “Southern Right Whale” reflects the colonial whaling history where they were once seen as the ‘right’ whale to hunt. While here we have used the current English scientific common name, we acknowledge the importance of local Indigenous names for the species and will reflect future name changes.

We used modelling based on 1996 to 2017 National and Victorian Whale catalogue data to estimate changes in the south-east Australian Southern Right Whale population.

Key findings:

• Population estimated to be 268 individuals in 2017,  including 68 breeding females.
• The population was estimated to be growing at about 5% per year.
• There was no change in the number of mother-calf pairs sighted at calving grounds at Logan’s Beach.
• Lack of increase in the number of females calving in Victoria highlights the challenges for population recovery and the importance of protecting breeding females in Victorian waters.

What’s next:

• This population model could be updated using data collected since 2017.

Report:

• Stamation, K., Watson, M., Moloney, P., Charlton, C. and Bannister, J. (2020) Population estimate and rate of increase of southern right whales Eubalaena australis in southeastern Australia. Endangered Species Research 41: 373-383

In 2023, the Victorian Government and ARI worked with whale experts to outline the key threats, knowledge gaps and management options to support the recovery of the Southern Right Whale in eastern Australia.

Recommendations included:

1. Strengthening the partnership and solutions between government agencies and Victorian Rock Lobster fishers  to reduce whale entanglement.
2. Engaging with communities to raise awareness about the vulnerability of whales in Victorian waters
3. Managing the risk associated with recreational and commercial vessel strike on whales.
4. Early detection systems to identify when whales are likely to overlap with shipping traffic.
5. Managing potential noise impacts on the ocean soundscape in important habitat areas.

Report:

• Stamation, K., and Watson, M. (2023). Supporting the recovery of the Southern Right Whale in eastern Australia: recommendations for threat mitigation, research and stakeholder engagement. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 362. Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Heidelberg, Victoria.

Individual whales can be identified by the callosities (white markings) on the head. Identifying whales from a photo requires images of the markings that make up each whale’s unique pattern, allowing it to be recorded and matched to future photos of the same individual.

The Department records whale sightings in Victoria and coordinates a comprehensive Whale Photo Identification Catalogue (VSRWC), which now contains over 3000 images of hundreds of individuals.

ARI cross-matches these photos against the national database. The data from individual whales can be used for research, allowing us to monitor whale movements along the Australian coast, their life history, population dynamics, and estimate population trends.

Pattern of callosities on a Southern Right Whale’s head, used to identify individuals.

Drone surveys

Since 2017, the Victorian Government (including ARI) has partnered with Deakin University to collect drone imagery of Southern Right Whales. The drone surveys capture high-resolution imagery of cow-calf pairs throughout the season.

These photos play an important role in individual photo identification of the calves. Calf callosities take time to develop, and high-resolution imagery increases our chances of cataloguing the calves and re-identifying them as adults.

Drone images also help derive body measurements and body condition scores, allowing researchers to conduct health assessments and track the body condition of cow-calf pairs over time.

Aircraft surveys

In 2023, ARI expanded our research program to include small aircraft flights along the entire Victorian coast. Systematic coastal surveys, spread out over the breeding season, can improve our understanding of whale distribution and help identify any new nursery areas (especially in hard to access areas where data are lacking). Collecting data from structured, systematic scientific surveys across the whole of Victorian coast will fill crucial knowledge gaps and help inform management decisions.

Citizen Science sightings - WhaleFace

The whale-watching community and Victorian public continue to provide invaluable contributions to Southern Right Whale research. All records contribute to Victoria’s photo-id catalogue (VSRWC) and the Victorian government’s whale sighting database.

Incidental sightings of Southern Right Whales are particularly helpful in understanding the populations movements and recovery. They complement other survey techniques by allowing for a more complete picture of whale movements over large areas and throughout time.

WhaleFace is our online platform where you can upload whale sightings and photographs. This information is then used to monitor Southern Right Whale movements, breeding patterns, and habitat usage, and to inform our management actions.

When Southern Right Whales visit Victoria’s coastal waters each year, they are vulnerable to boat strikes and disturbance.

ARI and the Conservation Regulator lead a community awareness and engagement initiative to help reduce these risks and help protect our whales. This initiative highlights the following recommended actions for those boating in Victoria’s coastal waters:

1. Watch out for whales: Stay alert, as Southern Right Whales can be difficult to spot. These whales have no dorsal fin, so they can look like floating logs as they rest near the surface, often in shallow water close to shore.
2. Slow down to 5 knots: Within 300m of a whale, you must slow to 5 knots. It's best to travel at less than 10 knots when within 1km of whales to keep vessel noise low. Mothers and calves need rest and quiet as they communicate in whispers to avoid predators.
3. Keep a safe distance: Don't go within 200m of a whale when you are in a boat, or 300m on a jet ski. Stay out of their way and avoid boxing them in. If you find yourself too close to a whale, put your engine in neutral and let them pass.

For information about the rules and regulations about boating near whales, visit - Water safety around marine mammals

You can help us identify and track whales by sharing your sightings with WhaleFace.

Join WhaleFace to submit your photos of the white markings on whale heads or follow the whale season through Whale News updates.

Remember safety is paramount, for the whales and our community. In Victoria you cannot fly drones within 500m of whales and cannot approach them in boats within 200m. It helps to share these reminders for those who may be less familiar with the rules.