Songlines: Songs of the East Australian Humpback Whales by Mark Franklin (The Oceania Project)

Songlines: Songs of the East Australian Humpback Whales (1992–2008) features humpback whale song recordings taken off the coast of Eastern Australia during their cycle of migration between their birthplace in the Great Barrier Reef and their Antarctic feeding areas. Track 3 (‘1998 Songline’, extracted) features Migaloo, the rare albino humpback whale that, when first sighted, was believed to be the only white whale in the world.

The recordings by Mark Franklin are part of The Oceania Project, a long-term research project undertaken by Franklin’s parents, Dr Trish and Dr Wally Franklin, on humpback whales. It looks at the whales’ social behaviour and organisation, abundance and reproduction, and has provided new insights into eastern Australian humpback whales.

The recordings also help raise awareness of the need for the rehabilitation, preservation and conservation of humpback whales and their ocean environment.