Humpback whale nursery grounds in Kimberley marine wilderness
11 August 2008
One of the world’s biggest humpback whale nursery grounds has been discovered in the Kimberley region of northern Australia.
Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) Chief Executive, Dr Steve Blake, said research scientists from the Centre for Whale Research WA discovered the calving grounds for this population in 1995 and had been surveying the whales for several years.
This month’s field trip, in association with Kimberley Whales, confirmed the original research which found that one of the Kimberley’s largest bays, Camden Sound, was a still a haven for the humpbacks – 607 were counted within a week. This comprised 381 pods of whales.
“We believe it surpasses the number found in the Carribean’s Silver Banks region, which is usually listed as one of the world’s main humpback whale nursery grounds. We are now right in the middle of the whale season in the Kimberley,” he said.
The latest marine field trip undertaken by Dr Blake, a team of unfunded scientists from Kimberley Whales and two Indigenous representatives undertook the study.
He said the movement of pregnant whales, whales with young calves and bulls into the Camden Sound region was astounding.
On the last day of the study 51 whales passed the fixed observation site in two and half hours – more than 20 whales an hour. The average number of whales seen each hour during the boat-based work was about nine.
“This is a conservative figure but it puts Camden Sound right up there in terms of the world’s winter residences for humpback whales.
It is a natural maternity ward, the place where mothers teach their calves how to feed and how to utilise the tides and currents,” he said.
“The highlight of the trip for me was seeing a whale calf practicing breaching, jumping out of the water every 30 seconds or so for five minutes under the watchful eye of its mother… It was like taking a three-year-old to a children’s playground!
“Undoubtedly the Kimberley is one of the last true marine wildernesses in the world,” Dr Blake said.
“It has fringing coral reefs and offshore reefs of global significance which most Australians don’t yet know about. In fact, we probably know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the biodiversity of the Kimberley Coast and islands.
“We need scientific information to better underpin any decisions made in the Kimberley because better science means better decisions.
“It is important to have independent scientific research for decision-makers.
“They need information to enable them to make choices which are right for the community, protect the environment and at the same time include a capacity for economic development. Extensive consultation with Indigenous communities and Traditional Owners also has to be a priority.”
Kimberley fringing reefs contain hard and soft corals as special as those seen at Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef, a claim that now needs further research, he said.
“The Kimberley contains 3000 islands along its coastline. It is a massive geographic region which needs an urgent investment of research effort and funds,” Dr Blake said.
Research had been limited in the past because of the area’s isolation and the costs to undertake the work, which were commonly two to three times that of marine research elsewhere, he said.
The field trip was the third carried out by WAMSI this year. The trips were only made possible with free ship time, equipment, scientists’ time and the goodwill of Kimberley people.
“A serious investment in regional marine research in the Kimberley is now needed,” he said. “We need to establish the long-term baselines now.”
Contacts:
Dr Steve Blake (08) 6488 4571 or 0409 183 277
Sue McKenna (08) 6488 4574 or 0424 196 771
The Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) is wishing to establish a fully funded regional marine science program for the Kimberley.
WAMSI is a consortium of 16 State and Commonwealth government, academic and private partners undertaking multi-disciplinary inter-institutional marine research. It is Australia’s first collaborative research facility dedicated to understanding the marine environment and resources, and to contributing to policy and management decisions on the future use of oceans.
WA State Government provided a $21 million five-year investment with a $60 million co-investment by member partners. WAMSI’s strategic projects address climate change, its likely impacts, how marine and coastal ecosystems function and how science can be used to understand the impacts of human activity in the marine environment.