Researchers studying humpback whales on Quandamooka Sea Country (Moreton Bay) have captured something extraordinary — the first documented underwater video of humpback calves nursing in Australian waters. The footage, taken with camera-equipped suction tags, confirms the bay's crucial role as a resting and nursery area for migrating mothers and their young.
Scientists from Griffith University and the University of Hawaiʻi deployed 13 camera tags across two seasons. They collected more than 35 hours of movement, acoustic, and video data.
About half of the tagged calves were filmed nursing, which is a breakthrough for researchers. They rely on data like this to understand how whale families use coastal habitats, how shipping lanes affect their safety, and how conservation efforts can better protect them.
Griffith University PhD candidate Stephanie Stack said, "To our knowledge, this is the first documented use of camera-equipped suction-cup tags on humpback whale calves in Australia."
The findings also showed unusually high numbers of mother-calf pairs, groups of calves socializing, and lone adults using the bay. All this info helps paint a clearer picture of how Moreton Bay supports humpback whales throughout their migration.
Devices like these suction-cup cameras are important tools for conservationists. They're crucial for learning more about the population health of threatened and endangered species. They also help take inventory of environmental restoration projects to assess their success and identify areas of improvement.
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Similar tools have captured the return of red pandas, rare glimpses of the Andean wild cat, and the last remaining herds of wild buffalo in Thailand. These instances are evidence that smart monitoring leads to better eco-management. As conservationists work to restore and protect ecosystems, they support biodiversity and people with healthier coasts, fisheries, and food systems.
The universities' findings will help influence state government rezoning discussions — especially considering multiple whales were observed with scars from boat propellers.
"Our growing understanding of the critical role that the bay plays in the life-history of the whales warrants a holistic assessment of the true ecological, social, and cultural value of the bay so that these values are not degraded or lost in favour of short-term financial gain," said Professor Susan Bengston Nash.
"Both years, we observed high levels of recreational vessel traffic throughout the Bay, including in areas where whales were resting at the surface or in shallow waters, and often in direct transit zones for boats," Nash added.
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