Busy season for whale researchers
Whale watching on Straddie is eagerly awaited each year by residents and visitors alike. From April to November the majestic humpback whales pass close to the island on their annual migration from Antarctica to their calving grounds in the warmer northern waters close to the Barrier Reef, and back again. There goes another one!... UQ whale researchers count migrating humpback whales from a platform above Frechman’s Beach. The whaling industry almost wiped out the humpback whale by 1960. An annual survey of their numbers began 1980. In more recent times Dr Michael Noad from the UQ Vet School at Gatton has been observing, counting and collecting data as part of The East Coast Australian Humpback Whale Survey. The humpback whale (megoptera novaeangliae) is the fifth largest of the great whales. Adult females can grow 15 to 17 metres long and weigh 30 to 40 tonnes. According to Dr Noad, there has been a very strong and consistent recovery of numbers of between 10-11% per year. He...