Overview
- Tourism operators first reported unusually long 'fluking'—whales floating upside down with tails above water—which prompted managers to ask scientists to investigate.
- Researchers combined citizen counts with seafloor mapping, water-temperature monitoring, satellite tracking and aerial surveys to determine the behaviour was linked to breeding and calving.
- Surveys recorded concentrated numbers of animals in the area, including a cited season count of 780 adults and 153 calves, though researchers describe those as single-season figures rather than a long-term trend.
- As a result of the findings, authorities established or strengthened a Whale Heritage/Protection Area in the Whitsundays and imposed stricter minimum approach distances for vessels to reduce disturbance to mothers and newborns.
- The discovery highlights how coordinated citizen science, tourism operators, management agencies and Traditional Owners can locate critical wildlife habitat inside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and shape local conservation rules.