Diving humpback whale
Diving humpback whale

Humpback whale numbers double off Eastern Australia

very year from late April to August, humpback whales migrate north along Australia’s Pacific coast to the warm coastal waters of Queensland and the Coral Sea to mate and give birth. According to Geoffrey Ross, wildlife management officer and coordinator of the Marine Fauna Program for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) off Cape Solander south of Botany Bay, humpback whale migration periods are becoming longer annually as their numbers increase.

The dottyback changes its colour to match surrounding damselfish species, enabling it to counter the defences of its damselfish prey by disguising itself as a harmless part of their community, then swooping in to hunt their young.

Dottybacks imitate a whole variety of other reef fish

"By changing colour to imitate local damselfish communities, dottybacks are able to overcome the predator avoidance behaviour in the juvenile fish they hunt," said Dr William Feeney, co-author of the study from the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology.

"The dottyback behaviour is comparable to the 'wolf in sheep's clothing' scenario from Aesop's Fables, where distinguishing the predator from the harmless 'flock' becomes increasingly difficult when they look alike - allowing the dottyback to creep up on unsuspecting juvenile damselfish," Feeney said.

Beluga

Churchill tour operators say new boat rules threaten livelihoods

Operators claim new federal regulations meant to protect marine mammals could put them out of business. Wally Daudrich, president of the Beluga Whale Tourism Association and owner of the Lazy Bear Lodge in Churchill, Manitoba, claims rules prohibit boats from approaching belugas any closer than 50 metres.