Bill the southern right whale’s epic journey
Little did these scientists know what this 15m, 40-tonne southern right whale — christened Bill — had in store for them.
Among the finalists of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition, to be announced next month, is this lovely drone image, shot last August in the remote Auckland Islands off New Zealand. It shows a 15m, 40-tonne southern right whale being shadowed by a boat in which Kiwi scientists, using equipment loaned by the Australian Antarctic Division, are waiting for the opportunity to fix a satellite tag on its back. Six southern rights were tagged during the expedition, but this young male – christened Bill – has made a unique impression. Says project leader Dr Emma Carroll: “Bill’s a superstar.”
Hunted to near-extinction here a century ago, these whales have since made a remarkable recovery, but much about them remains a mystery. They’re known to spend winter breeding around the Auckland Islands before venturing further afield, solo, for the rest of the year. But where do they go? The satellite tagging project aimed to answer that question.
Only problem is, the tags are fixed into blubber, and fall out over time. The other five whales lost theirs after a few months. But Bill? He’s still transmitting at the time of going to press, having traced an amazing 15,000km loop since August – skirting the Great Australian Bight and getting halfway to South Africa before heading down to Antarctica, where he remains (see Auckland Uni’s Tracks of the Tohora page for his current position), foraging on zooplankton, slowly heading east on his way back to the Auckland Islands. Carroll is returning there soon, too. “We’re all hoping to see him!” she says. “I want to ask him, ‘Hey Bill, how was your summer holiday?’”
The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition opens at the South Australian Museum on August 27