Newborn Calves in Gold Coast Bay

For some time, the Gold Coast Bay was not recogised as a calving grounds of the humpback whale, but research suggest that maybe that should be reconsidered.

Researchers Laura Torre-Williams, Emmanuelle Martinez, Jan-Olaf Meynecke, Joshua Reinke and Karen A Stockin examined the observations of 74 new born calves found in the Gold Coast Bay area between 2013 and 2016, with the research demonstrating that the area is a suitable breeding ground for the marine creatures.

Identifying active calving habitats is key for appropriate conservation measures and legislation to be put in place, so this discovery could prove vital for the protection of the humpback whale.