Arriving in Hermanus, a charming South African coastal village just an hour-and-a-half from Cape Town, at around 11am on a sunny October morning, I immediately head to the harbour to meet Els Vermeulen, the Belgium-born scientist leading the whale unit for the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute. Despite the bustling main street filled with restaurants, art galleries, and tourists watching southern right whales from the cliff path, I am drawn to the clear waters next to the concrete pier, where a giant orange starfish catches my eye as it inches along the rocky seabed.
Hermanus, known as an important calving ground for southern right whales and a prime spot for spotting humpback and Bryde’s whales, proudly markets itself as the “land-based whale watching capital of the world,” complete with its own unique “whale crier” using a horn made from kelp to announce sightings. However, the village’s past was not always so conservation-focused, with three whaling stations in the area decimating whale populations in the early 20th century. Thankfully, a shift towards conservation efforts in the latter half of the century led to a remarkable recovery of the southern right whale population, now estimated at around 20,000 individuals.
As we wait for the tagging team to return from their final sortie of the 2024 season, I observe the arrival and departure of whale-watching tourist boats, eagerly anticipating the researchers’ arrival on the Balaena, the Whale Unit’s inflatable research vessel. Professional whale tagger Amy Kennedy, with 20 years of experience under her belt, shares her challenges and triumphs in deploying tags on these majestic creatures, highlighting the precision required to gather valuable data for research.
The Whale Unit, originally founded by Peter Best in 1969, has evolved over the years to incorporate modern technology such as satellite tracking and CTD tags, turning whales into “citizen scientists” by collecting data on water salinity and temperature as they dive. This cutting-edge research, combined with the long-standing photo ID survey conducted annually since 1979, provides invaluable insights into the behavior and adaptations of these ocean giants in the face of climate change.
With the southern right whale population showing signs of change and adaptation, but also concerning trends like reduced body weight and slower reproduction rates, the work of the Whale Unit remains crucial in monitoring and safeguarding these sentinel species of the sea. As we delve deeper into the mysteries of whale behavior and movements, the significance of their role as indicators of marine ecosystem health becomes increasingly apparent, underscoring the importance of ongoing research and conservation efforts in ensuring their survival for future generations.