UP Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit

30/10/2026

🐋 Meet the Bryde’s whale: the rorqual that stays closer to home!

When we think of giant baleen whales, we often picture epic migrations between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding waters. But Bryde’s whales (pronounced “broo-dus”) do things a little differently. 🌊

Unlike many of their migratory relatives, Bryde’s whales generally remain in tropical and warm-temperate waters throughout the year. Rather than travelling to seasonal polar feeding grounds, they are opportunistic hunters, often pursuing schooling fish such as anchovies and sardines.

🔎 Can you spot a Bryde’s whale?

They can be surprisingly difficult to identify at sea. Their sleek, dark bodies, pointed dorsal fins and brief surfacing intervals can make them easy to confuse with other whale species.

But there’s a distinctive clue: three prominent ridges running along the top of the head towards the blowholes — a feature that sets Bryde’s whales apart from other baleen whales.

🔬 Small populations, big questions

Bryde’s whales are not one simple, uniform population. Research has identified distinct coastal and offshore forms, with some coastal populations numbering only a few hundred animals. Their relatively small population sizes can make them particularly vulnerable to threats such as vessel strikes and changes in local prey availability.

Understanding where these whales live, how they feed and how their populations differ is essential for effective conservation.

Sometimes, the whales that stay closer to home are the ones we still have the most to learn about. 💙

University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria

28/10/2026

🐋🛰️ Meet Moana - the first of our newly tagged whales of 2026!

Meet Moana, a southern right whale cow who was satellite-tagged in Walker Bay on 27 October, alongside her calf. 🐋🤍

By tagging Moana, we can follow her movements beyond our coastline and gain valuable insights into where southern right whale mothers and their calves travel, how they use different habitats, and how their journeys connect South Africa’s coastal nursery grounds with the wider Southern Ocean. 🌊🌍

Every whale we track adds another piece to the puzzle, helping us better understand and protect this iconic species in a changing ocean. 💙

Stay tuned as we introduce the other whales joining our 2026 tracking project — and follow along as their journeys unfold! 🛰️🐋

University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria

23/10/2026

🐋 How do whales sleep without drowning?

Imagine having to consciously decide to take every single breath. For whales and dolphins, this is part of life! 🫁

Unlike humans, cetaceans are voluntary breathers: breathing is under conscious control. This means they cannot simply switch off completely during sleep and rely on automatic breathing in the same way we do.

So how do they rest?

💤 Unihemispheric sleep

Many cetaceans can rest one brain hemisphere at a time, while the other remains relatively alert. This allows them to maintain essential behaviours, such as surfacing to breathe, while still getting the rest they need.

In many species, one eye remains open while the other closes, reflecting the different states of the two brain hemispheres. After a period of rest, the hemispheres alternate.

🌊 And sometimes, rest looks like doing nothing at all.

When resting near the surface, some whales float almost motionless in a behaviour known as logging. This can allow them to rest while remaining close to the surface for their next breath.

A remarkable adaptation to life in the ocean: even sleep has to work around the need to breathe!

University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria

20/10/2026

Keen to hear more about how we link science to conservation and management of whales and dolphins in South Africa? Join us on Wednesday, 28 October, at the Hermanus Boat Club.

We are pleased to host Prof. Els Vermeulen, Chief Scientist and Manager of the University of Pretoria’s MRI Whale Unit, based in Hermanus, as she shares her insights on:

“Connecting research, policy and conservation action for whales and dolphins”

📅 Wednesday, 28 October 2026

🕠 17:30 for 18:30

📍 Walker Bay Boat Club – Hermanus New Harbour

🍔 R150 per person, including a scrumptious hamburger with all the trimmings.

Guests welcome.

Bookings: Robbie Lapping – 076 063 4961 on WhatsApp only

Booking and payment are essential by the closing date: Friday 23 October.

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a fascinating and informative evening. 🐋🐬

16/10/2026

🐋 Humpback whale super-groups: a mystery unfolding off South Africa’s west coast!

Humpback whales are often seen travelling alone or in small groups of two or three. So why are we seeing aggregations of 20 to more than 200 whales packed together along our west coast? 🌊

These remarkable gatherings, known as super-groups, challenge our traditional understanding of humpback whale migration and feeding behaviour.

One possible explanation lies beneath the surface. Coastal upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface, stimulating productive food webs and potentially creating feeding opportunities for humpbacks. Prey such as euphausiid krill and mantis shrimp larvae may help explain why so many whales gather in these waters.

But important questions remain: Are these super-groups a response to changing ocean conditions, or do they reflect the recovery of humpback whale populations and the re-emergence of historical feeding grounds?

Our research is helping unravel this extraordinary behaviour and what it tells us about changing ocean ecosystems. 🔬🐋

University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute

09/10/2026

🌍🐋 A significant leadership appointment for the MRI Whale Unit

We are delighted to share that Prof Els Vermeulen has been nominated as Vice-Chair Elect of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
This marks the beginning of a six-year leadership pathway within the IWC Scientific Committee, including two years as Vice-Chair Elect, followed by two years as Vice-Chair and, ultimately, two years as Chair.

The IWC Scientific Committee brings together expert scientists from around the world to provide the scientific advice that underpins international whale conservation and management. This leadership role therefore represents an important opportunity to contribute to the direction, coordination and impact of whale science at a global level.

We are incredibly proud to see Els take on this responsibility and to have the MRI Whale Unit represented at the highest levels of international cetacean science 🐋🌍

University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria

06/10/2026

🐋 🚁2026 SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE AERIAL SURVEY: THAT’S A WRAP!

The MRI Whale Unit has completed its 2026 annual southern right whale aerial survey, continuing a long-term monitoring programme tracking these iconic whales along South Africa’s coastline for nearly six decades.

📊 Our final count for 2026:
🐋 222 cow-calf pairs
🐋 25 unaccompanied adults

Most cow-calf pairs were recorded in De Hoop, Struisbaai, and Walker Bay, important nursery areas for southern right whales along our coast.

📈 Why do the numbers fluctuate so much between years?

As our long-term data show, the number of cow-calf pairs recorded each year can vary considerably. This is not necessarily a sign of population decline or recovery, but reflects the reproductive cycle of southern right whales. The number of calves born across the population fluctuates as females move through their reproductive cycles, with some years producing more calves than others. These fluctuations may become more pronounced when calving intervals lengthen or reproduction becomes less synchronised across the population.
The number of calves born in a particular year therefore provides an important snapshot of reproductive output, and must be interpreted within the context of longer-term population dynamics.

This is why long-term monitoring matters. By tracking cow-calf pairs year after year, alongside individual whale histories and other research data, we can investigate changes in reproductive patterns and better understand how the population is responding to changing environmental conditions.

A huge thank you to everyone who made this year’s survey possible, including Cape Town Helicopters, Grootbos Foundation , The Anchorage Beach Restaurant & Bar, De Hoop Collection Nature Reserve , Marine Dynamics Shark Tours, Denel Overberg Test Range, CapeNature Reserve, The Thatch House Hermanus and many private citizens along the way. Every survey adds another important piece to the puzzle of understanding and conserving these remarkable animals. 💙

University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria

03/10/2026

🚁 🐋 AERIAL SURVEY UPDATE: Day 4 & Survey Complete! 🌊

That’s a wrap on the 2026 Southern Right Whale Aerial Survey! Today we completed our final leg, surveying the coastline from Danger Point all the way to Muizenberg. 🚁📸

It wasn’t without its challenges—dark, murky water conditions made tracking whales beneath the surface nearly impossible at times. But the whales put on an absolute show! As we flew over Hermanus, they seemed to be joining in on the Hermanus Whale Festival celebrations below, with plenty of breaching and tail-slapping out of the water! 🐋💥

📍 Day 4 Count (Danger Point ➔ Muizenberg):

🐋 38 Cow-Calf Pairs

🐋 10 Unaccompanied Adults

🏆 2026 SURVEY PRELIMINARY TOTALS
Over 4 days of flying from Nature's Valley to Muizenberg, our updated preliminary counts stand at:

🐋 222 Cow-Calf Pairs (444 mothers and calves!)

🐋 26 Unaccompanied Adults

A massive thank you to our skilled pilot, field team, and all the local communities along the coast who supported us during this 57th annual survey! Now begins the huge task of sorting through thousands of high-resolution photo-ID images to catalogue each individual. 📸💻

Thank you for following along on this year’s journey! 🚁💙

Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute Orms Cape Town Helicopters Marine Dynamics Shark Tours

02/10/2026

🚁 🐋 AERIAL SURVEY UPDATE: Big Numbers on Day 3! 🌊

What a massive day in the air! Today, we covered the coast from Arniston to Danger Point, logging over 6 hours of flight time across 4 separate survey flights. 🚁📸

The hard work paid off with incredible numbers along this vital stretch of the Overberg coastline:

📍 Today’s Count (Arniston ➔ Danger Point):

🐋 89 Cow-Calf Pairs

🐋 11 Unaccompanied Adults

That brings our survey total so far to an impressive 179 Cow-Calf Pairs and 17 Unaccompanied Adults! Seeing so many mothers resting with their newborn calves in the shelter of the bays makes these long, demanding flight hours completely worth it. 📈✨

And the best part? We still have the iconic nursery grounds of Walker Bay ahead of us!

Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute Town Helicopters

01/10/2026

🚁 🐋 AERIAL SURVEY UPDATE: De Hoop Delivers! 🌊

Day 2 of the 2026 Southern Right Whale Aerial Survey is in the books, and it was an absolute highlight! We flew the stretch from Witsand to Arniston, taking in the world-renowned nursery grounds of De Hoop Nature Reserve. 🚁📸

Crystal-clear sea conditions and exceptional underwater visibility made for perfect spotting today!

📍 Today’s Count (Witsand ➔ Arniston / De Hoop):

🐋 72 Cow-Calf Pairs (144 whales total!)

🐋 2 Unaccompanied Adults

De Hoop certainly lived up to its reputation as a critical shelter for mothers nursing their newborn calves. Seeing 72 pairs resting in the shallow, turquoise waters from the helicopter was a breathtaking reminder of why this protected coastline is so vital for the species' recovery. 📈

Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute Cape Town Helicopters De Hoop Collection Nature Reserve