Captains Micheline Jenner AM and Curt Jenner AM
MARINE BIOLOGISTS Curt and Micheline Jenner have been conducting exploratory research into whale population biology and distribution since 1987 on the east and west coasts of Australia and in Hawaii. Micheline and Canadian-born Curt first met as whale research colleagues in the late 80s. They wed in Maui two years later and began their Dampier Archipelago Humpback Whale Project with funding from the AG Society in July 1990. It was based on a desert island on the northwest coast of Western Australia,
The pair are renowned for conducting scientific studies in remote regions with logistically demanding conditions, and their work has contributed to more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers. From discovering the winter calving ground of humpback whales in the Kimberley to documenting the summertime krill-foraging visits of pygmy blue whales to the Perth Canyon, their 30-odd years of fieldwork has been instrumental in effective protection of critical habitats for cetaceans. The humpback whale breeding/calving grounds in the Kimberley have been government-gazetted as Lalanggarram/Camden Sound Marine Park, and the foraging habitat of pygmy blue whales is now conserved in the Perth Canyon Marine Park.
With almost 70 years of combined offshore experience, Curt and Micheline have operated four research vessels; a 6m inflatable, a self-built 13m sailing catamaran, a 24m renovated fishing boat and RV Whale
Song, their current home and research platform, which is a 28m ice-class steel expedition vessel.
At an Australian Geographic Society Gala in November 2017, Curt and Micheline were presented with the Lifetime of Conservation award for their work. Recognised for “Significant service to conservation and the environment, particularly for whale research in Western Australia”, each was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in September 2018.
Turn to page 114 to discover how you can travel the Southern Ocean next year in the company of Micheline and Curt.