1.
WA
Orca
Research
–
update
June
2015
Several
sightings
during
May
and
early
June
have
shown
at
least
2
of
the
3
well-­‐known
orca
families
have
returned
once
again
to
Ningaloo.
More
observations
of
them
hunting
spinner
dolphins
indicate
they
could
be
an
important
food
source
outside
the
humpback
calving
season.
Last
year
(2014),
with
the
aid
of
sat-­‐tag
on
Augie
(WA03)
a
total
of
8
predation
events
on
humpback
calves
were
witnessed
and/or
reported
resulting
in
4
confirmed
kills.
A
couple
of
new
IDs
were
added
to
the
catalogue
bringing
the
total
number
to
26,
with
21
animals
now
known
to
be
repeat
visitors
to
Ningaloo,
continuing
a
steady
rise
in
numbers
since
2005.
Recent
imagery
this
week
shows
a
previously
unknown
adult
cruising
south
behind
the
reef
with
Hook’s
(WA02)
group.
To
date,
our
work
off
the
south
coast
during
the
summer
months
with
approximately
double
the
number
of
animals
has
still
not
shown
any
ID
matches
with
these
3
families
visiting
the
Ningaloo
coast
each
winter.
It
could
well
be
that
these
smaller
family
groups
remain
in
the
low-­‐
latitude
tropical
waters
year
round,
one
of
many
still
unanswered
questions.
Thanks
for
all
the
reports,
imagery
and
accounts
of
your
sightings
–
they
are
valuable
and
all
help
increase
our
knowledge
of
these
animals
who
frequent
the
Ningaloo
coast
–
keep
them
coming
!
Right:
Satellite
tag
waypoints
and
track
from
just
a
4-­‐day
sample
of
tag
data.
Tag
was
deployed
to
a
young
male
‘Augie’
(WA03)
in
early
July14.
(first
observed
as
a
calf
in
2006).
This
data
gave
valuable
information
on
fine-­‐scale
movements
within
the
area
and
allowed
us
to
locate
Augie
and
his
group
on
many
occasions
during
July
and
early
August.
The
tag
track
over
this
period
showed
longer
forays
both
well
north
and
south
of
the
Ningaloo
area
…
the
example
on
right
shows
this
group’s
500k
trip
north,
to
west
of
the
Montebello
Islands
and
back.