The whales were observed off the coast of Timor-Leste during the annual monitoring of the Austral-Indonesian population of pygmy blue whales. These whales undertake a remarkable journey of over 5,000 kilometers between southern Australia and the Banda Sea near eastern Indonesia, passing through the waters of Timor-Leste.
ANU Associate Professor Karen Edyvane, a marine ecologist and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University (CDU), has been studying blue whales in Timor-Leste since 2006. She noted that until now, the reproductive and calving behaviors of blue whales have remained largely unknown to the scientific community.
"Our decade-long project has documented some of the lesser-known intimate reproductive behaviors of blue whales, some for the very first time. It's very exciting," she said.
"From newborn calves and nursing mothers to amorous adults in courtship, the waters of Timor-Leste really are providing blue whale scientists with some of our first glimpses into the private lives of one of the world's largest but most elusive animals."
The research, first presented to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in April, is based on more than a decade of observations, surveys, and monitoring datasets.
In 2008, surveys by Australian scientists, including Associate Professor Edyvane, identified Timor-Leste's waters as a global cetacean hotspot and a major migration corridor for whales and dolphins.
Associate Professor Edyvane highlighted that the latest findings confirm Timor-Leste's waters as a critical migration corridor for blue whales and an unprecedented location for blue whale research.
"Timor-Leste's deep, nearshore waters, particularly in the narrow Ombai-Wetar Strait along the north coast of the country, provide one of the most accessible and best locations for blue whale research in the world," she said.
"Since 2014, our program has sighted over 2,700 blue whales in Timor-Leste's waters, monitoring their annual migration along the country's north coast. On a global level, these numbers are truly extraordinary."
Dr. Elanor Bell, a researcher at the Australian Antarctic Division and an Australian government representative within the IWC's Scientific Committee, said, "This evidence suggests that these waters are not only important foraging areas for blue whales, but also are critical for reproduction. Until now, it has been a mystery when, where and how blue whales reproduce."
Research partner Jose Quintas, National Director for Environment and Research at Timor-Leste's Ministry of Tourism, remarked that the blue whale monitoring program, known locally as Baleia no Golfinhu iha Timor-Leste, has thrived due to its citizen science program and partnerships.
"The program has really developed and grown into a major collaboration between researchers, whale tour operators and tourists, student volunteers and local fishermen - all sharing information, images and observations about blue whale sightings. They've shared with us some amazing blue whale images. It's really been an exciting and shared journey," he said.
"But now, we really need to use this valuable new information to ensure we fully protect and conserve these animals when they pass through Timor-Leste's waters and beyond. For this, we urgently need cooperation and support from Australia and the wider international community."
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