Pygmy blue whales: Citizen scientists in Timor-Leste help research

Timor-Leste has one of the world’s highest concentrations of marine mammals.

During the migration season – October and November – hundreds of pygmy blue whales pass through the country’s waters as they make the epic journey spanning thousands of kilometres from southern Australia into the Banda Sea that lies to the north of Timor-Leste.

But the area has been under-researched, says Prof Edyvane, who started the monitoring programme in 2014.

During whale season over the past decade, she has based herself in Subaun, about 50km (31 miles) from the capital Dili, working with fishermen, students and dive tour operators to document the cetaceans.

They have documented “some of the lesser known, intimate reproductive behaviours of blue whales, some for the very first time,” says Prof Edyvane, who lectures at the Australian National University and Charles Darwin University.

In July, for instance, the team captured underwater footage of a mother nursing her calf, offering a glimpse into the species’ reproductive behaviours, which have remained largely unknown.

“It’s very, very exciting,” she adds.