Drones over Hervey Bay show Australia's recovering humpbacks reach 90% of their full size by age seven

Eastern Australia's humpbacks are one of conservation's great comeback stories — and now scientists know exactly how fast the comeback grows. A Griffith University-led team used drones and photo-identification to measure 865 individual whales off Hervey Bay between 2021 and 2024, building the first modern growth curves for the population, published in Marine Mammal Science. Young whales reach about 10.9 metres (36 feet) by age five, and 90% of adult length by six or seven — faster than other humpback populations measured. 'Understanding how quickly whales grow provides another piece of the puzzle in understanding the biology of this recovering population,' says lead researcher Stephanie Stack.

SDG 14 · Life below water