-The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is an endangered species, otherwise known as mamang or mernong.

Appearance

Southern right whales can grow up to 18 metres long and weigh up to 100 tonnes. Their skin is usually black, but they can also be grey, often with white belly and chin patches and a large head covered in callosities, the head can be up to one-third of their body length, with a strongly arched mouth.

How do I identify a southern right whale?

• Callosities: they have roughened patches of skin on their heads, chins, and lower jaws that are unique to each whale. These patches look like barnacles and are colonized by tiny white crustaceans. 
• Fins: they have wide, paddle-shaped pectoral fins. and they lack a dorsal fin
• Tail: they have a broad tail with flukes that form a wide triangle with a notch in the middle. 
• Blow holes: they have two separate blow holes that produce a V-shaped cloud of vapor when they breathe. 
• Speed: slow moving behaviour.

Distribution and habitat

The Southern Right Whale inhabits the southern and sub-antarctic oceans except during the winter breeding season. During this breeding season the whales migrate to warmer temperate waters around the southern parts of the African, South American and Australian land masses.

Recognised Aggregation Areas (2013)	Biologically Important Areas & Critical Habitat (2024)
Ref. DCCEEW 2013, National Recovery Plan for the Southern Right Whale, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra	Ref. DCCEEW 2024, National Recovery Plan for the Southern Right Whale, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra.

Conservation status

The Australian populations consist of two recognised sub-populations which in the 2022 annual aerial survey estimated these populations to be 

• the western sub-population approx 2675
• the eastern sub-population approx 268

Australia has a clear obligation to protect and conserve Southern Right Whales. They are listed as an endangered species through the

• EPBC Act 1999 (Commonwealth legislation)
• Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (State legislation)
  

Key Challenges

Southern right whale traits, such as living long lives, late sexuality maturity and low reproductive output, makes them vulnerable to anthropogenic threats – 

• Vessel Strikes: may cause serious injuries or death, mother and calf pairs are particularly vulnerable. Larger and faster vessels are more likely to cause death.
• Noise Pollution: including from vessels, development or construction, and seismic activities. May cause displacement from critical habitat, disrupt behaviour temporarily or permanently, mask natural sounds, impact hearing, cause stress or physical harm and interfere with communication including potentially causing separation of mother and calf pairs.
• Marine Pollution: including marine debris, oil, sewage and other anthropogenic contaminants. Marine debris can be ingested, or cause entanglement, resulting in injury, starvation, impaired movement or drowning. Chemical pollution can cause impaired health, reproduction and immune function or death.
• Climate change: increased temperatures and reduced rainfall impacting food sources and habitat.

May 2024 saw the commencement of the Right Whale Tracker Project – a program that draws from the experience and passion of community,volunteers and whale watch operators supported by funding from theWestern Australian Government’s State NRM Program. This program is delivered through a collaboration between South Coast NRM, South Coast Cetaceans and Oceans Blueprint. South CoastCetaceans, developed by Kirsty Alexander, has been engaging volunteer citizen scientists to gather data, assisting in informing management strategies for coastal development along the South Coast since 2016. The Right Whale Tracker project will continue collecting this baseline data for the next 2 years with the support of ECU’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Project 3.15 for reporting.

Monitoring a highly mobile marine species across the south coast requires a network of trained observers to collect key biological information, each four-month reproductive season over decades, this is prohibitively costly and logistically problematic to do through traditional scientific research activities and resources.  

This project is designed to coordinate a training and management program that delivers engagement and outreach that inspires a strong sense of value in community members dedicated to the Right Whale Tracker project.  

Specifically, the project focusses on improving the capability of citizen scientists and community to measure and monitor southern right whales along the south coast from Albany to Hopetoun. The purpose is to continue and build on the work of Kirsty Alexander’s South Coast Cetaceans, to continue on-going long term citizen science southern right whale monitoring to collect, store and make publicly available data on southern right whale populations.  

Monitoring southern right whale populations provides a unique experience for the community to engage with their local environment on an ongoing, long-term basis, enhancing community cohesion, raising greater awareness of marine environments and encouraging marine stewardship and creating positive behavioural change towards greater personal and community conservation practices.  

Summary

Right Whale Tracker is a collaboration between South Coast Cetaceans, South Coast Natural Resource Management, Oceans Blueprint and Edith Cowan University supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program and the Australian Government under the National Environmental Science Program.

The Citizen Science Training Toolkit aims to equip Citizen Scientists and Indigenous Rangers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively contribute to Right Whale Tracker project. The training toolkit has been developed for face-to-face delivery, with the possibility of a self-paced online format in the future.

The Toolkit includes the following resources –

1. The Citizen Science Training Toolkit Summary Word document
2. Four Training Modules for delivery as Power Point presentations (~2-3 hours)
3. A Word document with additional reading material and references
4. A Word document Volunteer Management Handbook
5. A Word document Volunteer Registration Form
6. A Word document Work Health and Safety Policy
7. A Word document Job Safety Analysis Form (land and/or vessel)
8. An Excel database for volunteer registration generated by the My Impact online platform

The content below summarises in brief the content of the four Training Modules-

Module 1 – Understanding the Project, SRW Conservation, Ecology & Biology

• History of southern right whale abundance
• Biologically important areas & critical habitat
• Recovery and legislations
• Understanding the project (purpose and goals)
• Southern right whale conservation biology and ecology
• Identification of species & individuals
• Data collection

Module 2 – Scientific Methods, Protocols, and Data Collection

• Scientific methods for data collection
• Step-by-step protocols for data collection
• How to use specific data sheets and technology for data collection
• Marine Fauna Sightings smartphone app introduction video
• Troubleshooting common issues

Module 3 – Exercises (interactive element)

• Species identification
• Behavioural categories in Marine Fauna Sightings app
• Behaviour identification
• Photo identification
• Camera settings
• Track data

Module 4 – Code of Conduct, Data Usage and Risk Assessment

• Volunteering for Right Whale Tracker
• Code of Conduct (expected ethics and conduct)
• Work Health and Safety
• Rules when watching whales
• Forms to sign

Anyone can become a Right Whale Tracker citizen scientist. 

If you are interested in learning about southern right whales and becoming a citizen scientist you can help fill in critical knowledge gaps to help conserve the species and empower our community to engage directly in conservation-based management actions. 

An annual free face-to-face training event is run in Albany and Hopetoun, or you could try our online training.

Fill out this form to register your interest in becoming a Right Whale Tracker. Our project coordinator Laura Bird will contact you with details on the training sessions or the  link/s to the brand-new online training modules prepared by our Southern Right Whale scientists.  

After signing up to be a RWT citizen scientist there are 3 ways to make a survey report. 

1) Download the Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development (DPIRD) Marine Fauna Sightings (MFS) App and create a user profile  to record opportunistic sightings.

Step-by-step guide: How to Use the Marine Fauna Sights App

2) Carry out land based surveys from specified locations using a high zoom camera

3) Carry out vessel based surveys on whale tour operator’s vessels using a high zoom camera.

Photos can be transferred by WeTransfer to laurab@southcoastnrm.com.au and survey reports submitted via the online monitoring survey form

or

Download the monitoring survey form Right Whale Tracker Survey Data sheet and email it to the project coordinator on email laurab@southcoastnrm.com.au or drop it off at the South Coast NRM office 88 Stead Rd, Albany, WA.

South Coast NRM and other Project Partners are raising the awareness for the conservation of southern right whales through various communications and events. Check out our Facebook page to stay updated.

Download the 2024 Right Whale Tracker Annual Report here

Download the Citizen Scientists Guide to Southern Right Whales here

Additional reading material and references

Australia National Whale Watch Guidelines​, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/australian-national-guidelines-whale-and-dolphin-watching-2017

International Convention on Biological Diversity​, available at: https://www.cbd.int

Environmental Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act (1999)​, DCCEEW, available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc

Marine Fauna Sighting App Introduction Video, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl6QSRhu-Hw

National Recovery Plan for the ​SRW 2024, available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/recovery-plans/southern-right-whale#:~:text=The%20National%20Recovery%20Plan%20for,effect%20on%2031%20July%202024.

South Coast NRM Volunteer Management Handbook: A guide for engaging volunteers at South Coast NRM, available at: https://southcoastnrm.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Volunteer-Management-Handbook-2024.pdf

WA Biodiversity Conservation Act (2016), available at: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_13811_homepage.html

WA Biodiversity Conservation Regulations (2018)​, available at: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_s50938.html

WA DBCA Whale Watch Guidelines​, available at: https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-12/whale-watching.pdf

 Appendix to the Citizen Scientist Guide

Jackson JA, Patenaude NJ, Carroll EL & Baker CS. (2008). How Few Whales Were There after Whaling? Inference from Contemporary Mtdna Diversity. Molecular Ecology 17, 1, 236- 251. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03497.x

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2024). National recovery plan for the Southern Right Whale. Australian Government. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-recovery-plan-southern-right-whale.pdf

Kenney RD. (2018). Right Whales: Eubalaena Glacialis, E. Japonica, and E. Australis, in B. Würsig, J. G. M. Thewissen and K. M. Kovacs. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Third Edition). Academic Press. pp 817-822. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804327-1.00217-X

Mackay AI, Bailleul F, Carroll EL, Andrews-Goff V, Baker CS, Bannister J, Boren L, Carlyon K, Donnelly DM, Double M, Goldsworthy SD, Harcourt R, Holman D, Lowther A, Parra GJ & Childerhouse SJ. (2020). Satellite Derived Offshore Migratory Movements of Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena Australis) from Australian and New Zealand Wintering Grounds. PLOS ONE 15, 5, e0231577. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231577.

Townsend CH. (1935). The Distribution of Certain Whales as Shown by Logbook Records of American Whaleships. Zoologica 19, 1-50. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51225956#page/125/mode/1up

Bannister JL, Burnell SR, Burton C & Kato H. (1997). Right Whales Off Southern Australia: Direct Evidence for a Link between Onshore Breeding Grounds and Offshore Probable Feeding Grounds. Report of the International Whaling Commission.

Tormosov DD, Mikhaliev YA, Best PB, Zemsky VA, Sekiguchi K & Brownell RL. (1998). Soviet Catches of Southern Right Whales Eubalaena Australis, 1951-1971. Biological Data and National Recovery Plan for the Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) 94 Conservation Implications. Biological Conservation 86, 2, 185-197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(98)00008-1

Burnell SR & Bryden MM. (1997). Coastal Residence Periods and Reproductive Timing in Southern Right Whales, Eubalaena Australis. Journal of Zoology 241, 4, 613-621. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb05736.x.

IWC. (2010). Report of the Workshop on Welfare Issues Associated with the Entanglement of Large Whales. . IWC Document 9. IWC/62/15. Peel D, Smith JN & Childerhouse S. (2018). Vessel Strike of Whales in Australia: The Challenges of Analysis of Historical Incident Data. Frontiers in Marine Science 5, 69, 69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00069.

Tulloch VJD, Plagányi ÉE, Brown C, Richardson AJ & Matear R. (2019). Future Recovery of Baleen Whales Is Imperiled by Climate Change. Global Change Biology 25, 4, 1263-1281. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14573.

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). (2023). Watching Whales Information Guide. Government of Western Australia. https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-09/watching-whales-information-guide.pdf

Roman, J., Nevins, J., Altabet, M., Koopman, H., & McCarthy, J. (2016). Endangered Right Whales Enhance Primary Productivity in the Bay of Fundy. PloS One, 11(6), e0156553–e0156553. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156553

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. (2021). Whale Fall 101. https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/whale-fall-101/ JEFFERSON, T. A., STACEY, P. J., & BAIRD, R. W. (1991). A review of Killer Whale interactions with other marine mammals: predation to co-existence. Mammal Review, 21(4), 151–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1991.tb00291.x

Nielsen, M. L. K., Bejder, L., Videsen, S. K. A., Christiansen, F., & Madsen, P. T. (2019). Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother-calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? Journal of Experimental Biology, 222(Pt 13). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728

Eroh, G. D., Clayton, F. C., Florell, S. R., Cassidy, P. B., Chirife, A., Marón, C. F., Valenzuela, L. O., Campbell, M. S., Seger, J., Rowntree, V. J., & Leachman, S. A. (2017). Cellular and ultrastructural characterization of the grey-morph phenotype in southern right whales (Eubalaena australis). PloS One, 12(2), e0171449–e0171449. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171449

Right Whale Tracker Project Coordinator

South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc.

Mobile: 0428 294234

Email: laurab@southcoastnrm.com.au         

88 Stead Road, Albany, WA 6330

www.southcoastnrm.com.au

South Coast NRM (WA) – Valuing protecting and restoring nature.

We acknowledge the Noongar/ Nyungar peoples of the south coast region as the traditional custodians of this land and we pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

This is a collaboration between South Coast Cetaceans, South Coast Natural Resource Management,

Oceans Blueprint and Edith Cowan University, Albany Tour Boat Operators and Citizen Scientists supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program and the Australian Government under the National Environmental Science Program and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.