Reporting your sightings of whales and dolphins is an important way that you can help conservation outcomes in Victorian waters.
We lead several important citizen science projects aimed at improving our understanding of cetaceans in our region and the issues they face.
Our programs, especially the Two Bays Whale Project, are carefully designed so sightings are validated to ensure that data are reliable.
We are interested in receiving sightings from all Victorian Waters, including the Gippsland Lakes, but have a strong focus on the central Two Bays region.
The best land-based locations to see whales in the Two Bays region are:
Whale and Dolphin Watching Regulations
Please obey the minimum cetacean approach distances: See HERE
Dolphins: 100m boat, 300m jetski. Whales: 200m boat, 300m jetski.
Download regulations HERE. What to do if you find a stranded dolphin, HERE.
Contacts in Victoria
Whale and Dolphin Emergency Hotline:1300 136 017
DELWP (for seals or marine turtles): 136 186 (business hours)
AGL Marine Response Unit (seals and birds): 1300 245 678
Dolphin Research Institute: 03 5979 7100
The Two Bays Whale Project is a Citizen Science initiative led by the Dolphin Research Institute in partnership with Wildlife Coast Cruises. The project is designed to accurately record sightings of large cetacean species within Port Phillip, Western Port and adjacent waters (Barwon Heads to Inverloch).
The key species for this citizen science project are humpback and southern right whales but can also include other species such as killer, minke and blue whales (also occasionally seen locally).
Victorian Humpback Whale Identification Catalogue.
This document is the first and only identification catalogue for humpback whales in Victorian Waters and fills an important gap in the understanding of this species in the region.
Access HERE
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