logo
Fleurieu Peninsula locals fear Southern Right, Humpback whales at risk of algae

Fleurieu Peninsula locals fear Southern Right, Humpback whales at risk of algae

Herald Sun09-05-2025
Fresh fears that algae-affected whales will attract 'flocks' of white sharks to beaches have put fishermen and local whale watchers on edge in the Fleurieu Peninsula.
The toxic algae bloom — believed to be caused by the toxic phytoplankton karenia — is implicated in the death of many marine species.
However, the scent of distressed whales and their calves suffering from respiratory illness because of the algae is just what sharks are looking for, one fisherman believes.
Go Get 'Em Fishing Charters owner Tom Di Vittorio spends much of his time in waters around Victor Harbor and said 'if there's a problem' with the whales, if they're 'distressed and still' then 'there will be sharks'.
'We know very well we've had whales in before and we've had white pointers coming with them, and they haven't just been dead whales,' he said.
'If the whales are still and there's a problem, that's when there will be sharks coming in, and those are very valid concerns.'
In July, 2001, a Southern Right whale carcass at Cape Jervis attracted 'flocks of sharks', and Mr Di Vittorio, along with Victor Harbor fisherman Rod Ness, fear something similar is on the horizon.
Mr Ness said the Southern Right and Humpbacks whales migrate to the region in late May to raise their calves before heading back to Antarctica, and if one died it would be a 'feeding frenzy'.
'If you get a dead whale that washes in on the beach, you're going to have every white pointer in the district there eating it,' he said.
'If you put that into one of our major surf beaches, it is going to be a problem.'
Marine biologist Dr Mike Bossley said he was 'cautiously optimistic' that no whales would die to the toxic algae, but if they did sharks wouldn't be the only worry for beachgoers.
'If a whale does die and wash up it is always a concern for the public if it attracts sharks,' he said.
'But it's also a concern for the public contracting any disease or illness from the carcass.'
Despite Dr Bossley's optimism, he said 'similar algal blooms' around the world had resulted in marine mammal death, 'so it's not out of the question'.
Elizabeth Steel-Collins, a member of the Encounter Whales conservation group, said the biggest fear for the region was 'the unknown'.
'What we're seeing is unprecedented,' she said.
'This particular algae is not known to be toxic (poisonous) to mammals, or to people, but as an irritant, it can provoke allergy reactions involving the respiratory system, as well as skin and other mucus membranes like eyes.
'As whales are mammals, and immersed in this algal 'soup' it's still a hazard and major concern going into whale breeding season, which will be any day now.
'The underwater world has been affected by the algae bloom, and this includes the whales' breeding habitat.
'Will it affect the respiratory systems or skin of the whales? We just don't know. We'll have to wait, and it'll be the whales that tell us.'
South Australians have been wading through the sludge of the 'algal soup' for nearly two months, the bloom regularly attributed to dead sea life washing up on beaches from Aldinga to Henley Beach, and even on the Yorke Peninsula, since it was first discovered.
Recently, it has forced six oyster farmers at Stansbury to temporarily halt operations for fears of potential contamination.
Though Dr Bossley said the algae had been known to kill sharks, a PIRSA spokeswoman said it was still investigating if the bloom was the cause of a 2.7m great white shark to strand itself on Henley Beach on Monday.
Outside of the fishing industry, some tourism operators in the Fleurieu Peninsula have been left high and dry.
Victor Harbor's beloved horse drawn tram to was forced to close for three weeks after both staff and horses battled with respiratory issues from the toxic algae.
They have only just resumed their popular trips to Granite Island, but only at a fraction of their usual rate.
General Manager Meg Whibley said the popular tourist attraction was $100k out of pocket from the temporary closure.
'Depending on the wind, sometimes we can still feel the effects of it, so we just have to do half days' she said.
'The horses will get runny eyes or noses, and as soon as that happens, we call it and get them out of there as quickly as we can.
'As much as we get council funding, we are 78 per cent own source revenue, so when we don't get that extra $100k it's a big deal.'
PIRSA did not respond to questions about how the algae bloom could impact whales.
Originally published as Fishers fear 'flocks' of white pointers will target distressed, breeding whales caught in toxic algae
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Millions for South Australian toxic algae event that has plagued coastlines for months
Millions for South Australian toxic algae event that has plagued coastlines for months

7NEWS

time4 days ago

  • 7NEWS

Millions for South Australian toxic algae event that has plagued coastlines for months

'Nothing can be done' to dilute or dissipate an algae bloom that is devastating marine life across formerly pristine South Australian coastlines, the state's residents and hard-hit fishing industry are being told by the Department of Environment and Water. Three contributing causes have now been identified for the bloom which has been choking large parts of South Australia's coast for more than three months, as authorities scramble to maintain confidence in their handling of what is being called an 'environmental catastrophe'. Federal Minister for the Environment Murray Watt on Monday promised $14 million to deal with the algae event, but did not specifically mention if it was one-off disaster funding. 'It's obviously a very distressing event for all South Australians and, I think, the whole country,' he said. 'There's no doubting whatsoever that this is a very serious environmental event facing South Australia.' The funding is expected to be spent on beach clean-ups across SA coastlines, scientific research, business assistance, communication and planning to mitigate future blooms. The combined effects of river floods, a cold water upswell and now warmer than average water temperatures — which have created the conditions in which the algae thrives — are not easily combated, the South Australian government's Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has said. Since March when surfers first began falling sick after riding the waves at Goolwa on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the toxic karenia mikimotoi algae has spread along the coastline to Adelaide and around the otherside of the Yorke Peninsula, like Port Broughton — about 250km north of where it was first detected. The algae bloom — now estimated to be about 4,500sqkm in size — has killed thousands of fish and other marine life, with regular reports of rotten carcasses washing up on beaches. DEW said nutrients washed downstream during the River Murray floods and deep-sea nutrients pushed into shallow waters during a cold water upswell have caused a mass feeding ground rich in nitrate and other micro-plankton — meaning there is plenty of food for all sorts of marine life, including various algae species. These factors alone would normally mean a nutrient-rich season for ocean-based primary producers such as fishermen and oyster and muscle farmers. But they were soon followed by warmer than average water temperatures causing conditions perfect for the algae to develop faster and overwhelm other marine life, with the micro-plankton karenia mikimotoi outbreak quickly taking root — and both eating up the other micro-plankton other species rely on, while being consumed spreading its toxins that can kill other forms of sea life and make humans sick. South Australia's struggling seafood industry is still holding its breath for the bloom to dissipate, while residents and visitors to the area have been advised to avoid swimming at algae-affected beaches. Local fisherman and Coorong Wild Seafood owner Glen Hil said the situation could devastate the region's fishing industry. 'I've bashed my head against the side of the chiller in frustration. I've cried my eyes out,' Hill told 7NEWS. 'If we lose the bottom of the food chain, what do the fish eat? Potentially, we could lose everything.' And it's having a knock-on effect across the wider industry, with reports seafood sales are plummeting as consumers question where the produce has come from, while several oyster and muscle-producing sites have been shut down. It's not the first time South Australia has had to contend with a karenia mikimotoi outbreak, with a previous bloom recorded in Coffin Bay in 2014 according to DEW. Karenia mikimotoi can be found worldwide, including Northern America, with many types of harmful algae blooms becoming more frequent due to climate change. Coorong Environmental Trust co-founder Faith Coleman has told 7NEWS: 'Human beings are part of our ecosystems but if we get the balance wrong in the environment all of it will fall over. 'And so, when there are community members who are distressed and we are seeing really clear signatures of climate change … it's important that we get onto it very, very quickly.' Marine heatwave While South Australia was dealing with a drought, the ocean was also being affected by the weather with 'sea temperatures about 2.5C warmer than usual combined with calm conditions, light winds and small swells,' according to SA Water. In Australia, often warmer waters on the eastern coast can be seen as colour bleaching on coral reefs. But according to the Australian Research Council (ARC), the impact of m arine heatwaves can also include 'harmful algal blooms, coral bleaching and organism mortalities'. ARC said marine heatwaves can occur in any ocean region and during any season. But what exactly causes a marine heatwave? ARC said there are key factors that may trigger a marine heatwave, with the 'atmospheric' issues such as sunlight being a big factor — when there is minimal cloud cover, the ocean water warms up more. Wind also plays a factor in cooling the water surface so with less wind the water stays warmer. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), sea surface temperatures (SST) around Australia during May 2025 were 0.62C above the 1991–2020 average, making it the warmest May on record since observations began in 1900. Since July 2024, SSTs have been the warmest or second warmest on record for each respective month. River Murray floods Unprecedented flooding on the Australian east coast caused a massive knock-on effect, not only for those at the top of the Murray Darling Basin but at the bottom in South Australia. On the average day, 15 gigalitres of water — or 6000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — is expected to pass through monitoring stations in SA's Riverland region. However, as the Murray Darling Basin flooded, a peak of 186 gigalitres — or 74,400 Olympic-sized swimming pools — was pouring into the River Murray daily and countless acres of farmland, homes and shacks were inundated by the 'once in a generation' flooding event. SA Water has acknowledged the flooding did flush 'nutrients' into the Murray mouth and surrounding beaches. Beaches around where the Murray meets the ocean mouth turned brown for months, with farm machinery brought in to clear a massive fish kill as tons of immature carp were flushed out to sea. Unprecedented cold-water upwelling Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface, according to Jochen Kaempf, an Associate Professor of Natural Sciences (Oceanography) at Flinders University. Sunlight does not reach far into the sea, so the upwelling ensures that microscopic phytoplankton — single-celled organisms that depend on photosynthesis to thrive, are able so do so as the currents of the water bring them to shallower waters. It usually is celebrated by fishing industries as phytoplankton attracts deep sea creatures such as tuna and whales which feed on it. A government spokesperson told the current algal bloom is being sustained by 'nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon nutrients' most likely created through 'ocean upwelling, river and storm water runoff, dust, dying seagrass, fish and flows from rivers and storm water'. Waters deeper than 100m also contain high levels of nitrogen, while the deep zone of high nutrient levels is also due to the presence of bacteria that decompose sinking particles of dead organic matter. Karenia mikimotoi feed on the same microscopic phytoplankton as well as being able to survive via photosynthesis, which is why it is proving resistant. South Australian government response Government agencies, including the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and SA Health are monitoring the karenia mikimotoi bloom. The agencies are taking weekly water samples at 17 sites across West Lakes, the Port River, the Patawalonga River and the end of four jetties at Largs Bay, Grange, Glenelg and Port Noarlunga. The Port River is home to the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, whose dolphins and their water quality are monitored regularly by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and Flinders University in collaboration with the Environment Protection Authority. Weekly testing of the Coorong will be undertaken to analyse the algal bloom's movement. The Coorong region remains open and visitors are advised to check signage and avoid contact with discoloured water, foamy water, or water where marine life is dead or in poor health. The state Liberal Opposition want a royal commission into the algae bloom, but the SA government stopped it dead in its tracks. Attorney-General Kyam Maher poured scorn on the proposal, suggesting it was a waste of money to investigate what was 'almost universally accepted by scientists to be caused by climate change'. 'We've already announced half a million dollars in fee relief for the fishing industry and we've said we're looking at doing more,' he said. The state government announced a $500,000 initial relief package for fishers affected by the algal bloom, waiving certain licence and audit fees. A government spokesperson said there will be no ban on recreational and commercial fishers 'At present there are no plans to close fishing areas as a direct result of the harmful algal bloom,' the spokesperson told Acting Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close has repeatedly said she was deeply concerned for sensitive areas such as the Coorong, and there are 'things than can be done'. 'We're looking at ways in which we can manage water in order to push the Coorong's salinity out of the comfort zone for karenia mikimotoi,' she said. Close said the state government recognises the widespread effects of the algal bloom on the environment, coastline, businesses and industries, adding the government has established a reference group to work with those people who are on the frontline of the algae bloom. 'The algal bloom is a dynamic situation and its effects are unpredictable but, by bringing together industry representatives and science specialists, we can continue looking at research and investment options,' she said.

Family speaks out after beloved grandfather dies following medical episode as union slams ambulance response time
Family speaks out after beloved grandfather dies following medical episode as union slams ambulance response time

7NEWS

time14-07-2025

  • 7NEWS

Family speaks out after beloved grandfather dies following medical episode as union slams ambulance response time

A well-respected South Australian man and beloved grandfather has died after a medical episode behind the wheel. Robert Tancock had only minutes to receive vital help that may have seen him survive his medical episode. Unfortunately, paramedics couldn't get there in time. WATCH ABOVE: Ambulance Union calls for action on Adelaide's ambulance ramping. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Emergency services were called to Main South Rd at Sellicks Hill about 10.15am on Saturday but Tancock couldn't be revived. Friends told 7NEWS that he was 'selfless and always gave back to the community.' The ambulance union claims he would have had a better chance of survival if crews responded to jobs faster. 'Time is valuable and every minute counts,' they told 7NEWS. 'They performed CPR but unfortunately, with a very lagged downtime without oxygen to the brain, the outcome was unfortunate.' There is an ambulance station on Port Rd at Aldinga, minutes from where the crash happened. Tancock was triaged as category 1, which is meant to have a response time of eight minutes. 7NEWS understands it took about 15 minutes for paramedics to arrive at the scene and to begin crucial CPR. The survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Australia is about 10 per cent of patients surviving to hospital discharge or 30 days after the event. SA Health Minister Chris Picton, however, said that the eight-minute response time doesn't apply in the regions and the Aldinga ambulance was detained at another job. 'Our crews did everything possible to get to that case as soon as possible,' he told 7NEWS. 'The only potential ambulance station that could have been closer, that ambulance was out in the community helping someone else at the time.' 7NEWS spoke with Tancock's widow, who said she was happy with the care her husband received. The union blames ramping at Flinders Medical Centre and said paramedics can't respond to emergencies if they're stuck at hospitals. 'When they're stuck on a ramp, then obviously, we can't free them up to respond to the community,' they said. The government has defended its health system, while South Australia battles more than 2000 flu cases, the highest weekly number since 2019 with 164 hospitalisations. The Australian Medical Association SA said on July 4 that the ramping was at record levels. 'This pressure is reflected in our emergency departments. The latest ambulance ramping figures show 5382 total hours lost in June – making it the second-worst month ever recorded,' associate professor Peter Subramaniam said. Shadow Minister for Health Ashton Hurn said South Australians are sick of waiting and sick of this government's failure to deliver on its clear promise to fix ramping. 'This is more than just data released each month, it represents sick South Australians stuck outside of our hospitals, desperate to get in,' Hurn said. 'It also impacts our paramedics who have to endure being ramped for hours and hours.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store