Whales get in early as stingers stray
Radical changes are unfolding in humpback whales migration patterns while potentially deadly irukandji jellyfish wreak havoc more than 1000km away from where they are usually found in Broome.
Marine biologists agree unusual patterns are beginning to surface for with a range of sea creatures but years of research would be needed to find the answers.
Department of Environment and Conservation senior wildlife officer Doug Coughran said whales were coming up the coast a lot earlier to give birth.
The first of the massive mammals heading for warmer waters in the State’s north was spotted by a Broome fishing charter company three miles off Gantheaume Point a fortnight ago.
This sighting came at a time of year well before whales are usually seen breaching the Indian Ocean.
“It could be global warming, changes to food supplies or sunshine hours in the day,” Mr Coughran said.
“It could also be their population has expanded and they are simply more noticeable now.
“At some point that will level out and I think that is starting to happen now.
“Until data is analysed down the track, we will not know.”
Mr Coughran, who has been keeping records on whale movements for 30 years and published information relating to his observations, said there were reports of humpback whales giving birth off the south coast, up to 2000km from their usual calving grounds.
CSIRO marine expert Dr Lisa-Ann Gershwin said she understood 17 people were stung by irukandji jellyfish at Ningaloo Reef over three or four weeks.
“That is indeed quite unusual,” she said.
“To my knowledge, these sorts of numbers of stings have never occurred before in the region of Exmouth. “On rare occasions we used to see these large clusters like this in Queensland, but that was many decades ago.”
Dr Gershwin said nobody saw it coming in Exmouth.
“There have been low numbers of irukandji stings in Exmouth for many decades, but not clusters like this,” she said.
“A similar issue occurred in December/January at Fraser Island in Queensland with seven irukandji stings in eight days.
“In both places there was no management strategy in place to predict it, detect it, manage it, or even to know when the threat had passed. This highlights a very important issue of preparedness that other regions may face.”
The number of people treated for irukandji syndrome in Broome stands at three so far this stinger season — the second lowest number in nine years.
Cable Beach was temporarily closed for an afternoon last week, with a tourist being taken to hospital for treatment after being stung.
