Research Kimberley

In late August and early September 2009, Channel 7 television identity Ernie Dingo joined forces with WAMSI scientists and the Aboriginal Traditional Owner [Arraluli Aboriginal Corporation] from the eastern part of Camden Sound and Montgomery Reef, in the Kimberley.

The purpose was to survey the humpback whales in Camden Sound off the Kimberley coast of WA, and a repeat of five similar surveys in 2008 carried out with Kimberley Whales aboard the Pearl Sea Coastal Cruises.
 
Photographs, a short documentary and transcript from the most recent trip are available from: http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/
 
Please note: WAMSI is not claiming any 'discovery' of the humpback whale nursery grounds in Camden Sound.  Aboriginal people have known about it for thousands of years while local fisherman and tourism operators have known about it for decades. Jenner, Jenner and McCabe from the Centre for Whale Research [WA] Inc. described a “major calving ground” in a paper in 2001 and the Kimberley Whales organisation has also undertaken whale counts in the region for the last few years. WAMSI has simply independently re-affirmed the significance of the area.