Researchers and conservationists are alarmed at the dramatic swings in the Southern Right Whale numbers along the southern coast of Western Australia. These changes have been strikingly apparent in recent years. With numbers reported as low as 30 mother and calf pairs in 2023, down from 70 in 2021, the future of this species remains uncertain. Southern Right Whales typically arrive every winter to calve. A pair of baby gypsy moths stuck in the Big Apple Experts now believe that the Australian population is currently between 2000 and 3500 adults.
Last year, researchers were studying a recent population increase of the Southern Right Whale, focusing their research on an aggregation area called Point Ann. This area is home to one of Australia’s three main calving grounds. Our inability to detect a clear trend in populations makes it difficult to assess the overall health of these whales.
Fluctuating Numbers Present Challenges
Over the past few years, the count of unique mother/calf pairs seen has varied widely. It hasn’t been heading specifically up or down. In 2021, researchers counted only 67 pairs. This number decreased down to about 60 in 2022 and even further to only 30 active pairs in 2023. These variations create challenges for scientists working to figure out the Southern Right Whale’s population health.
“We can put together a much more comprehensive idea of what southern right whales are doing, how they’re recovering and what the health of the population is,” said Max Fabry, who co-leads the research project alongside Katy Fannei. These observations highlight the importance of continued research as we work to determine what is driving so many whales to die.
The reproductive habits of Southern Right Whales only add to the difficulty. Southern Right Whales have not rebounded as other whale species. Humpbacks have staged a spectacular rebound since the cessation of industrial-scale whaling in the 1970s. These whales give birth only every three to five years, making it difficult to get an accurate count.
“Studies have shown that in the last 10 years, southern right whales are calving less and less, from every three years to every five years.” – Max Fabry
Environmental Factors at Play
Researchers emphasize that the calving rates and body conditions of Southern Right Whales serve as indicators of the health of Antarctic and offshore waters. Environmental conditions have a direct impact on prey availability as well as overall health of the whales.
“It could be a lack of prey availability, it could be anthropogenic impacts, it could be all manner of things, both human-made and natural processes,” Fabry noted. Understanding these dynamics is key for improving strategies that conserve and protect migratory species.
As this public art research project continues, volunteers and local businesses are instrumental in helping to advance these efforts. Continuing long-term data collection will ultimately shed some light on what is causing the whales’ ups and downs.
Community Involvement Critical for Long-Term Success
While the project itself is a massive undertaking, much of its foundation rests on community support and volunteer involvement, showing how crucial local engagement is to conservation efforts. Fannei emphasized this point by stating, “For long-term studies, having local support is so important — we need to know in the next three or five years [whether] we can keep doing this.”
Ms. Fannei elaborated on the situation by adding, “There is no clear pattern as to whether they’re increasing or declining. It’s very fluctuating.” This unpredictability highlights the need for constant monitoring and research efforts.
The lack of recovery of the Southern Right Whale compared to other species of whales puts its long-term viability into question. It will take ongoing research and the mobilizing of communities around the country to better understand and hopefully reverse these insidious trends.
