NSW Marine Parks Authority

As part of its increasingly popular Marine Information Series the Marine Parks Authority next month will host a presentation  by a whale expert who has been studying Southern Right Whales which were seen this year in record numbers along the south coast.

The Marine Information series sponsored by the Jervis Bay Marine Park (JBMP) has become a very popular event with the last presentation on Great White Sharks repeated due to popular demand.

Professor Rob Harcourt, from Macquarie University, will next deliver a comprehensive presentation on the endangered Southern Right Whale.

"They were once hunted and pushed to the edge of extinction," Professor Harcourt said.

"They gained their name from whalers because they were considered the 'right' whale to hunt as they were very large animals at around 80 tonne, they floated after being killed and were generally easy to harpoon.

"Today the Australian population number around 1,500 but the population appears to be steadily increasing and this year they were seen in record numbers on the south coast of NSW," Professor Harcourt said.

JBMP Manager, Matt Carr, said that the Professor's presentation is bound to be fascinating.

"The professor and his colleagues have been studying the Southern Right Whale closely and have been taking DNA samples from the population, no mean feat when you consider a fully grown Southern Right Whale can weigh in at 80,000 kilograms!!

"Professor Harcourt will explain why he is conducting research into this magnificent animal and what he has found.

"Because of the popularity of this series we are asking people to RSVP as soon as they can," Mr Carr said.

Professor Harcourt's Southern Right Whale presentation will be held at 7pm on Friday December 10 at the Lady Denman maritime Museum, Woollamia Rd,and Dent St , Huskisson. To attend please RSVP 44415675 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it