With the help of satellite tags, researchers from the University of Western Australia and Macquarie University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau, were able to follow the complete migration cycle of an Australian southern right whale for the very first time.

It’s a global conservation success story. Humpback whale populations, once hunted to near extinction, are bouncing back, so much so that right now, the Australian Government is assessing whether to remove the Humpback whale from its threatened species list. WWF has advised the government to hold off – for now, taking a precautionary approach and delaying this assessment by an additional five years. Chris Johnson, Global Lead for WWF’s Whales and Dolphins Initiative, explains why.