Gentle Ocean Safety with Humane Society
The whale‑watching season is back, and honestly, it never loses its magic. Every winter, thousands of humpback whales leave the chilly waters of Antarctica and make their way up the Queensland coast to breed and give birth.
The first usually arrive around mid‑June – last year’s mums with their calves, curious young whales, and then the big, mature adults and pregnant females, all cruise steadily toward Hervey Bay and back until late October.
It’s one of those special Sunshine Coast moments: you’re driving along David Low Way and your passenger spots a splash offshore, or you’re swimming in the ocean and hear that unmistakably beautiful whale call echoing through the water. My favourite place to spot ocean wildlife is Noosa National Park – Dolphin Point, Hell’s Gates or Devils Kitchen. It’s these locations where you are most likely to see a tail slap or a breaching giant right from the headland.
We really do live in one of the most incredible places on earth. And because our coastline is such a huge part of who we are – our lifestyle, our tourism and our everyday joy, keeping people safe in the water while also protecting the wildlife we love is becoming more important than ever.
But the challenge is that traditional shark control methods, like shark nets and drumlines still used along parts of the Queensland coast, pose serious risks to migrating humpback whales.
Each year, whales travelling north can become entangled in these nets, leading to injury, distress and, in the worst cases, death.
It’s a heartbreaking and avoidable threat to the very animals our community treasures – and one of the key reasons locals and organisations such as Humane World for Animals Australia have been calling for safer, modern alternatives.
That’s where new technology is starting to shine. Drone surveillance is giving trained operators a bird’s‑eye view of what’s happening along our beaches. They can spot potential risks, keep an eye on marine life and provide quick warnings when needed, all without disturbing the whales, turtles, dolphins and other locals who share our ocean.
As the Queensland Department of Primary Industries continues to invest in SharkSmart drone trials and research, these tools are quietly becoming part of the future of beach safety. Lawrence Chlebeck, Marine Biologist at Humane World for Animals Australia, says the shift toward modern, wildlife‑friendly safety measures is already underway.
“Drones give us a way to keep swimmers safe without harming the marine life that make our coastline so special. It’s a smarter, more compassionate approach – and it’s working,” he says.
With summer just around the corner, it’s a great time to remind beachgoers that there are modern alternatives to traditional shark nets and drumlines still used along our Sunshine Coast waters.
These newer approaches, already used widely in New South Wales, aim to keep swimmers safe while being kinder to the incredibly valuable marine life that defines our coast, from the whales we watch each winter and into spring, to the turtles and dolphins we see year round.
In a place where whales breach, dolphins play and locals love the water, choosing kinder ways to stay safe feels like the natural next step. With new ‘friendly’ technologies available, we now have the exciting opportunity to protect everyone – people and our marine wildlife. It’s worth consideration.
