11/06/2026
Southern right whales have returned to Victorian waters to give birth and nurse their calves β making East Gippsland's coastline an important nursery and breeding ground.
These endangered whales are still slowly recovering, with only around 300 in the south-east Australian population. That means every interaction at sea matters.
If you are on the water, please take extra care and follow three key actions:
β’ WATCH OUT FOR WHALES β they can be hard to spot and often rest near the surface
β’ SLOW DOWN TO 5 KNOTS β within 300m of a whale, and ideally under 10 knots within 1km
β’ KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE β 200m in boats, 300m on jet skis, and never box them in
If you do encounter whales, reduce speed, put your engine in neutral if needed, and allow them space to pass.
You can help by reporting unsafe behaviour to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000, and sharing sightings through WhaleFace to support ongoing research - whaleface.swifft.net.au