Great Australian Bight Right Whale Study

Our research, funded by Minderoo Foundation and done in partnership with the Yalata Anangu Aboriginal Corporation, has identified a significant decline Southern Right Whale populations and breeding habits over the past decade.

Tune in to Sky News Weather TV today at 2:15 AEST to hear Dr Claire Charlton interviewed on Climate Change and Whales

For decades, southern right whales have told a story about human impact and responsibility.

Once hunted to near extinction, their recovery following international protection proved something powerful: when countries act together, conservation works.

But today, their reproductive rates are declining again. This time, the threat isn’t direct hunting. It’s climate change.

Long-term research shows warming oceans are reshaping sea ice patterns and disrupting Antarctic krill populations, a foundational species in the Southern Ocean food web. When krill declines, the effects ripple upward.

Southern right whales are a sentinel species. Their reproductive health offers an early signal of broader ecosystem stress. Protecting them now requires climate-informed ocean management and stronger international coordination, including safeguarding Antarctic krill through bodies such as CCAMLR (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition).

Read more in our latest story: https://www.minderoo.org/stories/whales-whisper/

Drone Permit Number: M26085-13

New research alert 🐋🌊
Southern right whales were once a global conservation success story, but new research shows that’s beginning to change.
A newly published study, funded by the Minderoo Foundation, led by scientists from Flinders University and Curtin University with international collaborators, has found that southern right whales are having calves less often than in the past.
Drawing on more than 30 years of photo-identification data at Head of Bight, located within the Yalata Indigenous Protected Area in South Australia, the study links declining reproduction to climate-driven changes in the Southern Ocean, including loss of Antarctic sea ice, marine heatwaves and reduced food availability.
Similar patterns across South America, South Africa and Australia suggest a global climate signal, with whales acting as indicators of broader ocean change.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land and sea where research was conducted, particularly the Yalata Anangu Aboriginal Corporation, for their valued partnership and many years of in-kind support at Head of Bight, which is located within the Yalata Indigenous Protected Area, recognising the strong connection and ongoing custodianship of the Yalata Anangu Community.
🔗 Link to paper in bio


CurtinUniversity MinderooFoundation

Tracking calving rates allows us to evaluate whether current protections are truly supporting recovery.
It’s one of the clearest indicators of population health, and a reminder that protection must be ongoing.

Behind every dataset is dedication, long days, careful observations, and consistent effort.
Reliable data depends on showing up, season after season.
This commitment underpins every conservation outcome that follows.

Many of our most valuable records begin with someone standing on a clifftop or beach, simply paying attention.
Community sightings expand our monitoring reach and help strengthen protection across South Australian waters.
Conservation works best when people are part of the story.

Recovery isn’t just a feeling, it’s something we can measure.
Long-term data shows where populations are improving and where continued protection is still essential.
Evidence helps focus effort where it’s needed most.

Our findings directly influence how coastlines are managed during whale season.
By aligning human activity with whale presence, we help reduce disturbance at critical times, protecting mothers and calves when they’re most vulnerable.
This is data in action.