Whale Watching Worldwide

Local Case Study: Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Dwarf minke whales are known to inhabit Southern hemisphere oceans around the globe including South
Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the east cost of South America. In Australia,
they have been recorded in coastal waters of all states except Tasmania and the Northern Territory, but only
in the Ribbon Reefs in the Great Barrier Reef has a dedicated industry devoted to swimming with these
whales developed.
The dwarf minke was first officially observed in the Great Barrier Reef in the 1970s. During the 1980s, the
first tourism experiences with dwarf minkes developed, by which time they were recognised as a sub‐species
of the larger minke whales. Dwarf minkes can grow up to eight metres long, making them one of the smaller
baleen whales 40 .
Between June and August, when sightings are most common, eight boat‐based operators offer swim‐with
interactions with dwarf minke whales. These operators hold permits issued by the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in 2003, establishing them as the world’s first fully permitted swim‐with
whale industry (GBRMPA, 2009).
Dwarf minkes in the region are unique as they exhibit a high degree of curiosity and often seem to actively
seek out boats and divers. Dwarf minkes have also been recorded as approaching to within a metre of
tourists, and there have been instances where one has nudged a camera (Mischon, 2008). Their pirouetting
behaviour is another trait that makes these cetaceans particularly appealing to tourists. A behaviour unique
to dwarf minkes, pirouetting vertically in the water is something that is exhibited by one individual in
particular (now known as ‘Pavlova’ after the Russian ballerina), but also other individuals. Very occasionally,
this display occurs within metres of swimmers.
The dwarf minke industry has developed a strong collaboration with scientific researchers stretching back
over a decade. The Minke Whale Project (MWP) – the world’s only dwarf minke research effort – was
established in 1996 and is the most extensive underwater study of a whale species in the world (Mischon,
2008).
To date, researchers, assisted by tour operators and tourists themselves, have accumulated tens of
thousands of underwater photos and many hours of video footage on these inquisitive, but little understood
cetaceans. During each whale watching season, the permitted operators donate in‐kind vessel berths to
researchers to allow them to collect comprehensive records of whale encounters and vessel movements, as
well as collecting passenger questionnaires and ‘interaction behaviour diaries’ filled in by enthusiastic
passengers. Three MWP PhD studies, due to be completed towards the end of 2009, have investigated
dwarf minke behaviour, biology and sustainable management of this unique industry. The key findings of
these studies will be compiled into a report to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to
assist with the sustainable management of the industry .
The dwarf minke is yet to be formally described as a species in scientific literature and it has been suggested
that if it is finally named, that it might be named after Peter Arnold (1949‐2006) for his long term and
pioneering involvement with dwarf minke research and conservation, as well as his substantial contribution
to other cetacean research in Australia (Minke Whale Project, 2006). Peter, along with Alastair Birtles (from
James Cook University) co‐founded the MWP, which began as a collaboration between James Cook
University, the Museum of Tropical Queensland and an operator, Undersea Explorer.
In summary, the Great Barrier Reef dwarf minke whale watching tourism has many unique aspects:
40 Pygmy right whales are smaller than dwarf minke whales, with an adult length of 6.1m (American Cetacean Society,
2009).
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