Supporting conservation efforts for pygmy blue whales

Blue whales are a global icon of ocean conservation. The waters of Timor-Leste, particularly the Ombai-Wetar Strait, are a hotspot for whales and dolphins, including blue whales. In particular, these waters are home to the smallest and only tropical subspecies of blue whale – Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda (pygmy blue whale).  

While blue whales are listed as endangered, and commercial whaling has been banned since 1966, recovery of the species has been extremely slow. They remain highly susceptible to climate impacts, particularly ocean warming, and to the impacts of shipping, seismic activities related to oil and gas development, and ocean pollution. They are also highly elusive, with limited information available on their migratory routes and their feeding, calving and breeding areas – particularly in tropical waters. 

In addition to this, Timor-Leste has become a major whale tourism destination over the past 10 years, particularly for ‘swim with whales’ tourism. While this industry provides major opportunities for Timor-Leste to help address critical poverty and economic development challenges, the industry is growing very rapidly and remains unregulated.  

Dr Karen Edyvane, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at RIEL, is leading a decade-long research and ‘citizen science’ monitoring program that is providing baseline information on the status, movements, behaviour and ecology of blue whales in Timor-Leste. This information is vital for conservation efforts, including threat mitigation and environmental impact and risk assessments for ongoing human activities. This work will also provide critical information to support Timor-Leste’s important whale tourism industry and sustainable tourism. 

The program is run in partnership with local universities, fishing communities, government and whale tour operators in Timor-Leste, as well as blue whale researchers and conservation managers in Australia and globally.

This story was originally published in RIEL Annual Report 2024