The Oceania Project's photostream

The Oceania Project | YouTube

To celebrate the annual return of the Humpback Whales, sixty Australian communities are participating in the Humpback Icon Project. Each of these communities has adopted a known individual Humpback Whale from The Oceania Project's Fluke Catalogue.

The Oceania Project | Facebook


Established in 1988 by Trish & Wally Franklin, The Oceania Project is a non-profit research organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales, dolphins and the oceans.

The first phase of a long-term study of the Eastern Australian Humpback Whales has been the major work of The Oceania Project.

From an original population of over 60,000, the East Australian Humpback Whales were hunted to the brink of extinction. They were saved only by the collapse of the whaling industry when less than 100 whales remained.

In what can be appreciated as a wonderful symbol of an enlightened human desire to restore balance to this fragile planet after centuries of ignorant exploitation, the East Australian Humpback Whales have been allowed to recover to an estimated population of over 10,000.

When ecosystems across the planet are collapsing and species are becoming extinct at an accelerating rate, the East Australian Humpback Whales are making a remarkable recovery.

They have become Australia's national treasure and a symbol of hope for our imperiled environment.