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SOLOMON ISLANDS BLUE WHALE EXPEDITION 2005
 THE PROJECT
Introduction
Blue whales Balaenoptera musculus gather to feed on krill Nyctiphanes australis in the cold water Bonney Upwelling, from Cape Otway (Victoria) to Robe (South Australia) between mid-November and late May each year. The ecology of this feeding area has been studied since 1998 (Gill, 2002; Gill and Morrice, 2003). However, no winter breeding areas have yet been identified for blue whales in the south-west Pacific, and their migration routes from feeding to breeding areas are also unknown. The Action Plan for Australian Cetaceans, and the draft Blue Whale Recovery Plan (Australia), have recommended that it is a priority to identify winter breeding areas in this region. Blue whales have thin blubber for their size and probably cannot fast for long periods like humpback and southern right whales, so it is likely that they feed during the breeding season. In the eastern Pacific, blue whales winter in biologically productive areas such as Baja California and the Costa Rica Dome (Reilly and Thayer, 1990; J. Calambokidis, personal communication).
Blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere are also likely to winter in productive areas where feeding occurs. Locating these areas has been difficult because they are probably not near land, and because blue whale numbers have been so low since whaling ceased that blue whales are rarely sighted, specially if whales gather in areas where human activities (eg fishing) rarely occur. There are three methods that may help to identify blue whale breeding areas: past survey records, satellite remote sensing, and satellite tagging.
The aim of this project is to locate and study the undiscovered winter breeding grounds of the Endangered blue whale in the south-west Pacific Ocean.
Blue whales are the largest of all animals, living or extinct, and were once common, but are now rare and Endangered due to uncontrolled whaling during the 20th century. They are still threatened by a range of human activities including global shipping traffic, marine oil and gas exploration, military activities, potential ‘scientific whaling’ by Japan and others, and global warming.
We are now urgently seeking funding for this environmental research project, as a previously promised funding source has withdrawn support at short notice.
Background
Since 1998 Dr Peter Gill has been studying the ecology of blue whales in a summer (November-May) feeding area in the Bonney Upwelling, off the coast of south-eastern Australia. This is one of only a handful of blue whale aggregation areas worldwide – others occur off the west coast of the Americas, off eastern Canada, around Iceland and Greenland, south of Madagascar, near Sri Lanka, off Western Australia, and in Antarctic waters.
While Dr Gill and his colleague Margie Morrice have learned much about the blue whales in their southern feeding grounds, they still do not know the migration
routes of these giant mammals when they leave the feeding grounds, or where they go in winter to mate and raise their calves. This knowledge is vital for the conservation of this species: if we don’t know where they are for nearly half the year, it is impossible to counter threats to their survival which may exist in these areas. As an example, blue whale meat has recently been found for sale in meat markets in east Japan and Korea, and now (May 2005) Japan proposes to expand its ‘scientific’ whaling program in the Antarctic and South Pacific Oceans, blaming whales for dramatic decreases in numbers of fish (which have been decimated by human fishing activities, not whales).
While knowledge of blue whale wintering areas worldwide is scant, we know that in the northern Hemisphere, they migrate to productive areas in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. In the Western Tropical Pacific, a scientific survey during 1957 found significant numbers of blue whales in waters adjacent to the Solomon Islands. If blue whales were using those waters then, it is very likely that they do so now. This oceanic region is remote and rarely surveyed for any purpose, and it is likely that even giant mammals such as blue whales could remain unnoticed there.
BIOGRAPHY - DR PETER GILL
After an earlier working life in the Australian bush, Peter has been involved in whale research since 1983. For many years he assisted Dr Bill Dawbin, the “grandfather” of humpback whale research, before branching out into his own studies of humpback migration, using small sailing vessels. During 1990-91 he worked as Marine Mammal Researcher for Greenpeace Australia, while continuing humpback whale research. During the 1990s Peter also worked in a Sydney University research program on southern right whales at the Head of Bight, South Australia, and in Western Australia. He then conducted humpback whale research using sailing vessels in the Coral Sea, around New Caledonia, and off the coast of Tasmania. During much of this period he worked as a handyman and house painter to support his research.
He has visited Antarctica many times: on private sailing expeditions including Riquita’s voyage to the Ross Sea in 1986, the Mount Minto (Ross Sea) Expedition in 1988, and a whale survey in Iniquity in 1993; participating in whale surveys aboard the Australian government icebreaker Aurora Australis; and working as a lecturer, boat driver and guide on Antarctic tourist expeditions. He also skippered much of the Oceanic Research Foundation’s In the Wake of Flinders research circumnavigation of Australia in 1989.
He currently lives in Victoria, Australia, where he is conducting a long-term study on the ecology of blue whales in the Bonney Upwelling blue whale feeding area. He is a consultant on blue whales to the Australian and Victorian Governments, and to the oil and gas industry, which operates in the whale feeding area.
He is the author of Reader’s Digest Explores Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (with Linda Gibson), the Nature Company Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (with Mark Carwardine, Erich Hoyt and Ewan Fordyce), Whale Watching in Australian and New Zealand Waters (with Cecilia Burke) and more than 30 scientific papers, book chapters and magazine articles. His photographs have appeared in many books, and he has lectured on whales, whaling and Antarctica.
THE PROPOSED RESEARCH
The waters where blue whales are likely to spend their winter breeding are remote, and likely to cover a vast area of deep ocean. For this reason, the most cost-effective means of travelling to and surveying such an area is a sailing vessel, which can operate at little cost compared to power vessels.
Therefore, a survey has been planned using the 20m expedition sailing catamaran Pelican I, which was specially designed and purpose-built for long-range research expeditions of this type. Pelican I has been used by Dr Gill for two research seasons in the Bonney Upwelling, and has proven very suitable for this work, partly because of the cost-effectiveness of sail, and partly because quiet sailing vessels don’t disturb whales at close range. Her skipper, Garry McKechnie, has a good understanding of what is required for such work, and works well with Dr Gill. More details of Pelican I can be found at www.svpelican.com.au
SURVEY METHODS
Two detection methods will be used:
- sailing along predetermined survey tracks, and searching for blue whales visually; and
- using acoustic detection devices (hydrophones) which can detect and record the low-frequency calls of blue whales.
Other research methods include:
- Photo-identification of individuals by photography of natural markings, for comparison with existing databases elsewhere;
- Tissue biopsy for genetic identification;
- Collection and identification of the whales’ prey, if they are found to be feeding;
- Collection of oceanographic data, in order to describe the whales’ habitat.
TIMING OF THE EXPEDITION
We know that blue whales are in their southern feeding grounds during November-May each year, while the body of scientific data on the subject confirms that the whales breed during July-September, with August as the peak month. Blue whales were sighted in the survey area during August 1957.
The timing of the proposed expedition is therefore as follows:
1st August 2005 - depart Townsville, Queensland.
6th August 2005 - arrive in the Solomons Sea (the prospective blue whale wintering area) and commence survey.
28th August 2005 - complete survey and return to Australia.
5th September 2005 - arrive in Cairns, Australia.
 2004 PORTLAND BLUE WHALE RESEARCH
In February 2004 a team from Deakin University used Pelican to
conduct research on the blue whale population near Portland in
south western Victoria. The general public had a unique opportunity
to participate as volunteers and learn directly from the experts
by observing and helping out with the many research tasks. Their
participation helped to ensure the continued welfare of this
unique population of blue whales
Peter Gill is a leading marine scientist whose work centres on Blue Whale research. He wants to find out where the southern hemisphere Blue Whales spend the winter. He is planning to track the whales via satelite then mount an expedition to study them first hand in their winter environment believed to be in the pacific. This project may involve the making of a documentary for television. Given the huge interest in whales it may also lend itself to eco tourism, regular on line forums and magazine articles. Peter has a strong commitment to using Pelican and sees her as an integral part of his work over the next few years. Read more....
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