Whales and Dolphins

Whales and dolphins are iconic species that hold a special significance for many users of the Great Barrier Reef. For some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, such as the Woppaburra people of the Keppel Islands, the whale (Mugga Mugga) is the clan totem that connects them to their ancestral land and sea country as well as to their ancestors. More information on totems can be found on Reef Ed.

Around 30 species of whale and dolphin have been identified at various times in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins are among the most commonly sighted and reported species. Other whale and dolphin species reported from the Great Barrier Reef include Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Australian snubfin dolphins, spinner dolphins, pan-tropical spotted dolphins, false killer whales, killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales and various beaked whales. The Longman's beaked whale is known only from a single recorded stranding in Mackay.

Whilst the humpback is protected in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, globally, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals ranks them as 'vulnerable'. This means that it is a species at 'high risk of extinction in the medium term future'. Large-scale whaling in the 1940s, 50s and early 60s were thought to have reduced the population of humpback whales in the Great Barrier Reef region from around 25 000 animals to between 200 to 500 individuals. Since the 1970s whales have been protected in Australian waters and humpback numbers are now increasing by about 11 per cent each year, with a 2007 survey putting the figures at between 10 000 and 12 000 animals.

Humpback whales come from Antarctic waters to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area from May to September to calve and to build up strength over the winter before they return to the Antarctic in summer. Because of their status, and the fact that Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area waters are nursery areas, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is committed to ensuring that all whales are able to use the Great Barrier Reef waters without being pressured by human interference.

humpback whale The GBRMPA and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency collaborate to ensure whale and dolphin watching is conducted in a manner that allows people to see and appreciate these magnificent creatures while minimising the risks to both the animals and the human observers. The Operational Policy on Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was reviewed and published in 2007. This policy compliments measures addressed in Queensland�s Nature Conservation (Whale and Dolphin) Conservation Plan 1997, and those of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, including the Action Plan for Australian Cetaceans, the Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching 2005 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

While all species of dolphin are protected in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, there are two species that the GBRMPA currently considers as high priority for management. The Australian snubfin dolphin (formerly known as the Irrawaddy dolphin) and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin are two species that live in the inshore waters of the Queensland coast. There is concern that the population numbers of these species throughout the waters of northern Australia are in decline. As these dolphins often inhabit waters in areas where there are high levels human activity, they may be vulnerable to impacts from a range of human activities such as boating, netting and poor water quality caused by run-off from the land. Research is currently being undertaken on the population status, biology and potential threats to both these species.