Defence Force and DoC survey whales

The New Zealand Defence Force doesn’t usually take to the skies to conduct surveillance with the Department of Conservation, but when it does, it’s for a whale census.

The two organisations recently linked up to conduct a census of southern right whales ( pictured) in the New Zealand subantarctic islands.

The whales, also known as tohora, are a native migrant to New Zealand.

They are typically black but can have irregular white patches, and have large, paddle-shaped flippers.

More than 100 whales were sighted during the patrol by the Royal New Zealand Air Force using P-3K2 Orion over the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island, Air Commodore Tim Walshe, the Air Component Commander said.

“In this Orion patrol, we took aerial photos to assist the Department of Conservation in tracking individual whales, building a better picture of the species as a whole and monitor- ing the recovery of these protected species.”

The Defence Force regularly supports other government agencies providing aircraft and ships for monitoring and surveillance, Walshe said.

The census results indicated that the southern right whale population, which is classified as “nationally vulnerable”, was continuing to recover from the significant impact of whaling and other present-day threats, DoC manager marine species and threats Ian Angus said.

“We’ve always known that the southern right whales spend the winter and spring around the subantarctic islands but getting down there at this time of the year is challenging,” Angus said.

“In partnership with the NZDF, we have been able to monitor some of our wildlife and continue to understand when and how southern right whales are using the subantarctic Islands.”