Latest news with #PortStephens
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Search area expanded after fisher goes missing from Batemans Bay
A multi-agency search for a missing fisherman has been expanded to include about half of the New South Wales coastline. Marine Rescue vessels have been deployed between Port Stephens and the Victorian border to search for the man, who departed from Batemans Bay Marina at about 6am on Saturday. It is believed the 56-year-old was heading towards the continental shelf to catch tuna. In a statement NSW Police said the search was expanded on Monday afternoon "following unconfirmed sightings of the vessel by members of the public". Authorities have not verified any sightings of the man and his eight-metre-long Arvor cruiser vessel since the search commenced on Saturday evening. Marine Rescue Inspector Stuart Massey said up to 30 volunteers had been on the water during some days of the search. "When they were first out there they were out there till after midnight, then a lot of those crews backed up again the next morning," he said. "They are determined to get back out there and do their bit, but they've been working incredibly long hours out there." Inspector Massey said conditions on Monday morning were favourable for crews searching near Narooma and Bermagui. "There's not a great deal of swell or wind out there … that's making it a little bit more comfortable for the crews," he said. The search has been led by the NSW Police Marine Area Command alongside Marine Rescue and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Multiple interstate aircraft are also involved, according to AMSA. Police have not confirmed the identity of the fisherman.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
600kgs of 'hardcore weeding' done to save rare Aussie bird from invasive plant
An invasive plant is being torn out by hand in a desperate bid to remove the serial spreader from blocking vital nests of the country's rarest native seabird. Rangers have been on their hands and knees in Boondelbah Nature Reserve pulling out prickly pear plants along the Port Stephens coast in NSW, with the "pesky" grower impacting nesting sites of the seabird Gould's petrel, of which there are only 1,000 breeding pairs left in the wild. The nature reserve is only one of two breeding sites, and with such limited numbers of the birds left, rangers from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) made a trip to the island for some "hardcore weeding", with the plant bagged and removed for compost elsewhere. "If left unmanaged, prickly pear plants grow over nestbox entrances, either blocking birds from entering, or trapping them inside," a NPWS spokesperson explained to Yahoo News. Four members of staff hauled 600 kilograms of the plant out of the nature reserve, and authorities will continue to monitor the plant for spread, as it is well-adapted to harsh environments. Prickly pear has been declared a weed of national significance by authorities. The nature reserve has been identified as critical for the survival of the Gould's petrel, with 95 per cent of the species breeding there, so rangers have installed artificial nesting boxes on the island to support breeding of the birds. "The Gould's petrel is Australia's rarest endemic seabird," the spokesperson said. "Every bit of accessible breeding habitat is key to ensuring their survival." ☠️ Mass poisoning fears after 'horrendous' discovery at shopping centre 🍏 Footage captures 'nightmare' problem outside Aussie Apple store 😟 Shocking find inside bird highlights worrying beach trend The impact of prickly pear is infamous, with it first introduced to Australia on the First Fleet and quickly popularised in gardens. However, it spread so quickly and extensively that the Pricky-Pear Destruction Act in 1886 was introduced, with an advisory board, legislation and preventative measures implemented to try to stop its spread. Having such a prolific weed in the seabird's habitat has been problematic, and authorities have vowed to do all they can to prevent the weed from impacting their attempts to boost the seabird's population. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
SBS Australia
06-07-2025
- SBS Australia
Behind the scenes of Australia's whale census; citizen scientists explain why they keep taking part
Every year, Australians gather along the country's eastern coastline to document the world's longest mammal migration. Around 40,000 humpback whales undertake the journey from Antarctica to the warmer waters along the Australian coast where they mate, calve, and nurture their newborns. It is a distance of 5,000 kilometres made over three months. Weighing 36,000 kilograms, the humpback whales are not the fastest swimmers but they make up for it by travelling non-stop for days at a time. From the sweeping coastline at Port Stephens in New South Wales, these members of the public have been volunteered to help count sightings of whales - including the humpback - over a 24-hour period. Voxie 1: "Well, it is a beautiful day to be out. And it's quite special looking at whales. I actually got to see one breach (when a whale propels its body out of the water) - so that's amazing." Voxie 2: "We're looking for whales so we can get good photographs and pictures of whales." Voxie 3: "And I used to come out here as a child many years, decades ago - and it wasn't a thing because I suppose there were so few. Whale watching wasn't something people knew about - or did. And I suppose the increase in numbers is really made it (whale watching) such a popular thing now." The conservation group that organises the event is called ORRCA - or the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia. Vice President Steve Trikoulis says it is the 26th year of the census - and each time seeing the animals is memorable. "What's fascinating I think is because getting out to the water is not easy - or accessible for everyone. So being able to see these majestic creatures just from the headland, so close to you. And just having that experience, I think is a breathtaking experience for all. When they get to the tropical waters, they start breeding and the newborns start playing around, start mucking around. And everyone gets really excited. And then when they commence their southern migration (return journey to Antarctica) around August period, they obviously get really excited when they're at the headland because that's when the calves slap and breach and do all sorts of cool tricks that we all love to watch." He says it is heartening to see everyday Australians take part in the citizen science project, described as one of the longest running in Australia. "Citizen science plays a key role in helping scientists do the important work that they do. And one of the cool, amazing things about the census is we get to monitor patterns, behaviours - and we might even get lucky and potentially even see a southern right whale sneak through the coastline. It's very unique because there is only on the east coast of Australia - two or three hundred that do migrate. So there are not many out there."] All sightings over the 24-hour period are recorded using an online reporting system. This year's count has already broken the 2023 record of 5,000 sightings - that could include repeated sightings of the same animal. The full tally is still being finalised. The growth of the humpback whale population in particular has been encouraging for conservationists, growing from a low point of hundreds in the 1960s. Volunteer Susan Moody says she has participated in the census for the last five years. "It's very rewarding knowing the humpback population is thriving. And this year, we're hoping to get a more accurate number. We estimate between 50- and 60,000. But the southern right whale is only the hundreds - as far we know - and we haven't had many sightings this season. Although they do tend to go a little bit later. And there is a little of crossover when the humpbacks are coming, some of the southern rights are passing." Kristyn Glanville, a local councillor with the Northern Beaches Council, who also made the time to take part in the whale count. As an environment and planning law solicitor, she says she doesn't consider herself to be the most skilled citizen scientist - but feels it is important to take part. "I don't think I'm a very good citizen scientist because I'm not very good at spotting the whales, but when you have species that are in decline, are endangered and under threat. Every bit of information that residents and citizen scientists can collect is really important to inform the picture of understanding how many of that species is out there. And I think having people help collect the data makes them also appreciate more that we do live in harmony, hopefully, ideally with animals and being able to help collect the data gives (results in) investment and policies that help to keep that species healthy."
South China Morning Post
26-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Sydney Harbour water traffic gives way to whales on Australia's ‘humpback highway'
A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Port Stephens, north of Sydney, Australia, on June 18.... A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Port Stephens, north of Sydney, Australia, on June 18. Photo: AP share
Washington Post
26-06-2025
- Washington Post
Commuter traffic gives way for whales on Australia's humpback highway
PORT STEPHENS, Australia — The ferry was late, but not because of the usual traffic. Sydney commuters watched from an idling boat this month as humpback whales the size of buses surfaced nearby, halting the vessel's passage across the harbor. The curious mammals seemed to be watching them back. In June and July, it's not uncommon for whales to stop water traffic in Sydney. Winter heralds the opening of the so-called humpback highway, a migratory corridor along Australia's east coast used by about 40,000 of the massive creatures as they travel from feeding grounds in freezing Antarctica to tropical breeding areas off Queensland state. 'It's blubber to blubber,' said Dr. Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist at Macquarie University in Sydney and author of the book 'Humpback Highway.' During peak traffic periods the bustling coastal city of 5.5 million people becomes one of the world's few urban centers where you might see a breaching whale on your morning walk, while buying a coffee, or waiting at a bus stop – anyplace you can see the ocean. The reason humpbacks on the highway are so visible is due to their size – adults can be 16-17 meters (52-56 feet) in length, and weigh 40 tonnes – and their proximity to people. On their 10,000km (6,000 mile) journey from icy to balmy waters, one of the world's longest mammal migrations, the creatures stay close to shore. 'They are incredibly curious,' said Pirotta. 'There's been times where there's been whales in the harbor this year where they've literally halted traffic.' Australians get so close to the creatures that some have attracted fans. Among them are Migaloo, an all-white humpback whose sightings spanned 1991 to 2020, and Blade Runner, named for her tussle with a boat propeller that created her long, distinctive scars. Some keen whale watchers seek a closer look. On a recent morning, Ben Armstrong, a veteran skipper of a whale-watching boat in Port Stephens, a scenic harbor north of Sydney, slowed the engine as two humpbacks breached nearby. He encouraged passengers to put down their phones and enjoy the spectacle. Armstrong keeps his tourist boat at distances mandated by Australia's state laws, but inquisitive whales often go off-script . Once, the skipper let his boat drift for an hour while four or five humpbacks treated the vessel 'like a bath toy,' playfully preventing it from moving forward or back. In another episode, a whale peeled away from its pod and rushed to the boat, 'like a dog greeting its master at the gate,' he said. It lounged for 40 minutes in the water, rubbing its massive fins against the vessel. 'It was like, 'Oh, there's that boat I really like,' said Armstrong. Vincent Kelly, who travelled from Geelong, Victoria, to witness the migration was a recent passenger. Over two hours, he watched half a dozen humpbacks perform breathtaking aerial maneuvers. 'It was unbelievable to me,' Kelly said. 'I didn't expect to actually see a whale. But they were everywhere.' The humpback gridlock marks a sharp reversal of fortune for the whales. They were once hunted for meat and oil, and numbers dwindled to a few hundred before humpbacks became a protected species in the Southern Hemisphere in 1963. The humpback boom to about 40,000 since has brought the creatures into more frequent contact with people than before. That means more entanglements with fishing nets or run-ins with watercraft. Where and when they appear has become less predictable too, with whales in recent years giving birth to calves the size of small cars in unexpected places. Harvesting of krill, which humpbacks eat in bulk, and heating seas due to climate change could be altering their migratory patterns, Pirotta said. The population is still growing steadily, amplifying concerns about how humans and giants of the sea can safely share the coastline. But it also puts millions of Australians a short walk and a little luck away from encountering one of the largest mammals on the planet. 'It grounds you, I think,' said Armstrong, the boat skipper. 'It makes you realize there's a lot more out there than what we think there is in nature.'
