Australia's last great whale haven.pdf - Ningaloo Atlas

November 2011 Cetaceans of the NW Marine Region
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In summary, there are a number of areas of
importance for individual species and for species
groups in the NW Marine Region that are apparent
from current literature. A number of further areas of
importance for species known to exist in the region
are likely but are not yet fully understood.
Important identified habitats are the bays and inlets
of the Kimberley where a number of inshore dolphins
coexist (although these are thought to live primarily
in the State waters); an area from Broome to the
northern end of Camden Sound where humpback
whales breed and calve; the waters off Quondong
Point and James Price Point where humpback whales
migrate and high densities of dolphins have been
recorded 146 ; and the Browse Basin, where a very
high diversity of cetaceans has been encountered.
The region’s islands and reefs – especially Barrow,
Browse and the Montebello and Lacepede Islands,
Ashmore and Scott Reefs and the Rowley Shoals –
also provide important habitat for the three most
abundant dolphins in the region. Truly oceanic
species, in contrast, may be attracted to the waters
over Wallaby Saddle, the Exmouth Plateau and the
Scott Plateau; these have historically been known as
aggregation areas for sperm whales, and might also
provide feeding grounds for beaked whales.
The waters off Quondong Point are an important
migratory corridor for humpback whales and a
known aggregation site for blue whales; this area
also attracts false killer whales and a number of
dolphin species. Migratory waypoints for blue
whales are the NW Cape (where krill is an abundant
resource also utilised by whale sharks) and the ocean
between Scott Reef and Browse Island. Scott Reef
and the Rowley Shoals are thought to be important
to blue whales, dwarf sperm whales and Cuvier’s
beaked whales 121 .
Browse Island and surrounding waters may be
one of the most significant habitats for cetaceans
in the NW Marine Region; surveys recorded the
highest co-occurrence of cetaceans encountered
in Australian waters. Cetaceans encountered in this
area include feeding Bryde’s whales, potentially
feeding humpback whales and pygmy blue whales
(although this observation is as yet unconfirmed),
Antarctic minke whales, dwarf minke whales,
short-finned pilot whales, melon-headed whales,
false killer whales, pygmy killer whales and several
species of oceanic dolphins (Jenner C. pers. comm.
2011). Ashmore Reef is the site of records for 15
species of cetaceans 120 . Cetacean species recorded
in the Kimberley region include spinner, bottlenose,
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, pilot, false killer,
Bryde’s, humpback and pygmy blue whales.
Ningaloo Reef periodically attracts species such
as humpback whales, pygmy blue whales, minke
whales, bottlenose dolphins, Indo-Pacific humpback
dolphins and Risso’s dolphins 160 .
Areas yet to be fully studied but likely to be important
to cetaceans include deepwater shelf break areas,
canyon and seamount features and other areas that
have opportunistic or preliminary datasets indicating
species presence. For example, aerial surveys
conducted after the Montara oil spill 39 in a previously
unsurveyed area recorded dolphins in all but four
of the 16 sections of surveyed coastline, with the
highest densities of dolphins in Collier Bay and
between the WA-NT border and Vansittart Bay 65 .