Southern right whale populations were severely depleted by whaling but may be bouncing back in Geographe Bay
Researchers are combing through thousands of whale photos to help protect a calving site off Western Australia’s coast that was severely impacted by the whaling industry.
They “come right up to the coast and they will calve within 500 metres or 1km of the coast”, said Chandra Salgado Kent, an associate Prof at Edith Cowan University and the project’s lead researcher. She said mothers may have calves every three years on average.Southern right whale numbers were decimated in the 19th century by commercial whaling.
Salgado Kent said it was likely Geographe Bay and Flinders Bay – about 100km further south – were historically important calving sites.