Whaling in Western Australia

Whaling was one of the first viable industries established in the Swan River Colony following the 1829 arrival of British settlers to Western Australia. The industry had numerous ups and downs until the last whaling station closed in Albany in 1978.

There are two main species of whales (order Cetacea) which form aggregations along the Western Australian coastline: the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), and the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). The southern rights are slow swimmers and their carcasses tend to float due to the high concentration of oil in the blubber – hence the name "right" as it made the task of the whale chasers easier. Its conservation status is now listed as "endangered" as a result of more than 150 years of hunting. Both species migrated along the north–south coastline, stopping in bays such as Geographe Bay (east of Cape Naturaliste) and Flinders Bay (east of Cape Leeuwin) for mating and breeding. Other species occasionally caught were sperm whales and blue whales, although these tended to be seen mainly along the southern coast of Western Australia.