Category: Research

It is Pacific Whale Foundation’s favorite time of year here in Australia – whale season! We have been conducting research into humpback whales since the 1980’s, gathering years of data that is crucial to informing us on trends in individual…

What is that and why do whales do it? A recent popular social media video depicts a man in Australia enjoying a paddle in his kayak, when he stumbled upon a humpback whale demonstrating strange behavior. The whale in question…

Since the first commercial vessel ferried curious passengers out to sea to catch a glimpse of majestic migrating whales, the skyrocketing demand for whale-watch tours has made marine tourism a global billion-dollar industry. Concerned with potential impacts of marine tourism…

Peak whale-watching season is currently underway in Australia! Pacific Whale Foundation was established on Maui in 1980 to protect humpback whales from extinction and our research and conservation programs began in Australia not long after – 1984. We also conduct exciting and educational whale-watching ecotours in Australia to help fund this…

In order to understand how responsible whale watching can be achieved, we must understand what the ingredients are for a safe and informative whale watch. In our next installment of this Making Waves series, we highlight the policies and people that work to ensure responsible viewing of wildlife in their natural environments. Who decides how close we can get? And what responsibility do the people working aboard the boat have to the conservation of the animals involved? Read our next installment of Making Waves to learn more.

On October 7-12, the 2019 WCA World Whale Conference will take place in Hervey Bay, Australia, hosted by Fraser Coast Tourism and Events and the World Cetacean Alliance. The theme of the conference is ‘Journeys that Inspire Change‘ and topics include:…

Get an in-depth look into our Swim-with-Whales study from one of our talented research biologists.

This season, humpback whales haven’t been the only large baleen whale sighted in Hervey Bay. We have also had several sightings of mother-calf pairs of southern right whales, a rare species for this area. The first pair was seen in…

We have been busy in the research department adding humpback whales from the 2016 Hervey Bay field season into our South Pacific humpback whale catalog. Along with adding some new animals, we have already made two matches, which is quite…