The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is using drone images to identify individual whale calves and their mothers.

Senior biodiversity officer Mandy Watson, who is leading the study said the drones would be flown from Logans Beach and other south-west locations at some stage over August or September.

Ms Watson said the research work, expected to take two to three days, would help better understand the critically endangered southern right whale.

“While Logans Beach is a known nursery area for mothers and calves, little is known about what happens to these calves once they leave and migrate to sub-Antarctic feeding grounds in summer,” Ms Watson said.

“Using photo-identification of calves born this year, we hope to find them again on the Australian coast during future winter breeding seasons.

“This information will be critical to understanding what factors may be affecting their population growth and distribution.” 

Ms Watson said DELWP had been granted a research permit, with strict conditions, to operate a drone closer than 500 metres from a whale. She said if the whales showed any behavioural response, the drones would be withdrawn to at least 500 metres. 

The research, funded by the state government, is a partnership between DELWP regional staff and DELWP’s Arthur Rylah Institute. 

Southern Right Whales are critically endangered on the Victorian Threatened Species Advisory List, and their population in Australia’s south-east is estimated at 250. 

The data collected will be added to the South East Australian Southern Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalogue curated by Ms Watson and will also contribute to a long-term study on the distribution of Southern Right Whales across Australia and New Zealand.   

Dates have not yet been scheduled for the weather-dependent research work.