Native Animals History and Science
From Ancient Spirits to Coastal Guardians
Whales have long shaped the cultural, ecological, and historical identity of Victoria. From ancient ocean giants that swam in prehistoric seas to the whales that migrate past Warrnambool and Wilsons Promontory each winter, they embody both continuity and transformation.
For tens of thousands of years, Indigenous communities—including the Gunditjmara, Eastern Maar, Bunurong, Wadawurrung, and Gunaikurnai peoples—have shared relationships with whales as ancestral beings, providers, and protectors of Sea Country (Clarke 2008; Presland 1994).
Colonisation brought whaling, exploitation, and near extinction—but also stories of survival and renewal. Today, the return of Southern Right Whales to the Victorian coast represents resilience, cultural reconnection, and ecological healing.
Whales in Deep Time: Evolution and the Era of Giants
Whales belong to the order Cetacea, which evolved from land-dwelling mammals during the Eocene Epoch, around 50 million years ago. Fossil evidence from early ancestors such as Pakicetus and Basilosaurus shows a remarkable transformation—from hoofed, wolf-sized land mammals into fully aquatic giants (Thewissen et al. 2001).
By the Miocene Epoch (23–5 million years ago), modern whale families—baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti)—had fully diversified. Ancient whale fossils found along the cliffs of Victoria’s Otway and Gippsland coasts reveal that prehistoric seas teemed with ancestors of today’s Blue and Humpback whales (Fordyce 2009).
These fossils, embedded in sandstone and limestone formations, connect Victoria’s geological record to the deep evolutionary history of life on Earth.
Whales in Indigenous Knowledge and Creation
For Indigenous communities across Victoria, whales are not just animals but ancestral beings, linked to creation, ceremony, and spirit.
Ancestral Law: Among the Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar, whales are seen as ancient kin—beings that traverse both the physical and spiritual worlds. Some oral traditions describe whales emerging from the sea after creation, carrying messages from the ancestors (Clark 1990; Clarke 2008).
Gifts of the Sea: Beached whales were understood as gifts from the ocean, shared among communities in times of scarcity. The distribution of meat and blubber followed strict cultural protocols, reinforcing social law and respect for the sea (Presland 1994).
Song and Story: Whales are often linked to the Southern Cross constellation and seasonal migration stories, connecting sky and sea as one continuum.
Ceremonial Connection: Smoke ceremonies and songs were sometimes performed near whale bones to honour their spirits and thank the ancestors for sustenance.
These traditions recognise whales as spiritual guardians of balance—messengers of renewal between land and sea.
Language and the Names of Whales in Victorian Indigenous Communities
Language provides deep insight into how Indigenous peoples of Victoria perceive and relate to whales. Across the coastal regions of the Gunditjmara, Eastern Maar, Wadawurrung, Bunurong, and Gunaikurnai peoples, each language carries its own word and story for whale, reflecting cultural relationships with Sea Country and ancestral beings.
Among the Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar, the whale is known as Koontapool (or Koontapul), remembered not simply as an animal but as an ancestral guardian of the ocean. Some stories tell of Koontapool guiding people through storms or marking the boundaries of Sea Country.
In Wadawurrung language, words such as gurung describe large sea beings and carry associations with strength and movement, reflecting the whale’s immense power and connection to the rhythm of the sea.
For the Bunurong (Boonwurrung) people around Port Phillip and Western Port, words related to Borun—the ancestral pelican man—extend into stories of great sea creatures, linking land, water, and sky.
The Gunaikurnai of Gippsland use the word gurru or gurun, meaning large sea creature or deep one—terms that echo both respect and the vastness of the ocean where whales dwell.
In each case, language encodes ecological knowledge, kinship, and reverence. The words themselves act as vessels of spiritual connection—expressing that whales are not just “species,” but relations, woven into the same ancestral fabric as people, land, and water.
Today, language revival and cultural education programs led by Traditional Owner organisations and the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) are reawakening these names along the coast. Signage, storytelling, and school programs in places like Warrnambool, Portland, Port Fairy, and Wilsons Promontory increasingly include the traditional words for whale—ensuring that both the whales and their names continue to return home.
Early Natural History of Whales in Victoria
Victoria’s southern coast forms part of the great migratory corridor for whales between Antarctic feeding grounds and subtropical calving areas.
Key Species
Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) – Once abundant, hunted nearly to extinction; today slowly recovering in bays like Warrnambool’s Logan’s Beach, a vital nursery site.
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) – Known for acrobatic breaching and long-distance migrations past Gippsland and Wilsons Promontory.
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) – The largest animal on Earth, feeding on krill-rich upwellings off Portland and the Bonney Coast.
Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) – Occasionally sighted; in some parts of Australia, orcas once cooperated with human whalers, sharing the catch.
The Bonney Upwelling—a nutrient-rich current system off the south-west coast—supports immense marine biodiversity and remains a critical feeding ground for Blue Whales (Gill et al. 2011).
Whaling in Victoria: Exploitation and Decline
With European colonisation in the early 1800s, Victoria became a hub for shore-based whaling.
Stations: Portland, Port Fairy, and Apollo Bay hosted active whaling operations by the 1830s.
Industry: Whalers targeted Southern Right Whales for oil (used in lamps and machinery) and baleen (“whalebone”) for corsets and umbrellas.
Overexploitation: Within 40 years, whale populations plummeted. By the 1860s, whaling had almost ceased due to the near extinction of target species (Pyne 2012).
Cultural Consequences: Indigenous peoples were displaced from coastal Country as whaling stations expanded, further severing cultural ties to Sea Country.
Today, these former stations are recognised as heritage sites, marking both economic history and environmental tragedy.
The Science of Whale Senses and Communication
Modern research reveals that whales possess some of the most complex sensory and communication systems on the planet—knowledge long understood through Indigenous observation.
Hearing and Sound
Whales “see” the ocean through sound.
Baleen whales communicate using low-frequency songs that can travel thousands of kilometres (Payne & McVay 1971).
Toothed whales, like dolphins and orcas, use echolocation—sending out clicks and reading the returning echoes to navigate and hunt (Au 1993).
Touch and Vibration
Whales are covered in sensitive nerve endings, allowing them to detect vibrations and even the movement of fish shoals nearby.
Cognition and Social Structure
Studies show whales possess large, complex brains with neocortical structures linked to emotion and self-awareness (Marino et al. 2007).
Whales exhibit cultural learning, passing songs, migration routes, and hunting techniques between generations—paralleling human oral traditions.
For Indigenous peoples, these traits affirm whales as sentient and communicative kin, part of a shared network of consciousness across Sea Country.
Conservation and Cultural Recovery
The 20th century brought a dramatic shift from whaling to protection.
Legal Protections: International bans (IWC, 1986) and Australia’s declaration of a Whale Sanctuary (1979) halted commercial hunting.
Return to Country: Southern Right Whales now calve annually at Logan’s Beach, Warrnambool, one of the only regular nursery sites on mainland Australia (DEWLP 2021).
Cultural Leadership: The Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar peoples play central roles in contemporary whale protection and education programs, integrating Traditional Knowledge with marine science (Gunditjmara TOAC 2023).
Community Engagement: Local tourism industries promote ethical whale-watching and cultural interpretation along the Great Ocean Road and Gippsland coast.
Global Indigenous and Cultural Whale Symbolism
Across the world, whales are revered as teachers, protectors, and memory keepers—their songs reflecting the spiritual and ecological rhythms of the planet.
Aotearoa (New Zealand): Māori traditions honour whales (tohorā) as navigators and protectors of voyaging ancestors, guiding canoes across the Pacific.
Pacific Islands: Polynesian oral histories speak of whales as reincarnations of chiefs or guardians of the deep.
Inuit and First Nations (Arctic): Whales embody abundance and reciprocity; ceremonies give thanks for their lives and spirits.
Hawai‘i: Humpback Whales (koholā) are manifestations of the sea god Kanaloa, symbolising healing and connection.
Japan: In ancient Shinto belief, whales were “fish gods” (Ebisu), representing prosperity and renewal.
These parallels reflect a shared human reverence for whales as spiritual and ecological mediators—beings that bridge the realms of depth, sound, and soul.
Key Whale Places in Victoria
Logan’s Beach, Warrnambool: Mainland Australia’s only consistent Southern Right Whale nursery ground.
Portland and Bonney Upwelling: Blue Whale feeding ground.
Wilsons Promontory & Gippsland Coast: Key migration corridor for Humpbacks.
Port Fairy & Apollo Bay: Historic whaling stations and heritage sites.
These locations unite deep-time ecology, cultural heritage, and modern conservation—each carrying stories of survival and reconnection.
The Future of Whales in Victoria
Whales face renewed pressures from climate change and human activity:
Warming Seas: Changing ocean temperatures threaten krill populations, the foundation of whale diets.
Ship Strikes: Busy shipping lanes increase risks to migrating whales.
Noise Pollution: Underwater industrial noise disrupts whale communication and navigation.
Yet, hope remains. Traditional Owners, scientists, and local communities are working together to manage these threats through marine parks, sound regulation, and education programs.
The return of whales to Victorian shores is a living sign of ecological and cultural healing—a song of renewal after centuries of silence.
Conclusion
The story of whales in Victoria spans millions of years—from Eocene seas to Dreamtime creation, from exploitation to restoration. Whales connect deep evolutionary time with living cultural memory.
They remind humanity that the health of the ocean is inseparable from the health of Country, culture, and community.
To protect whales is to honour both the ancestors and the future—ensuring their songs, migrations, and presence continue to shape Victoria’s coastlines for generations to come.
References
Au, WWL. (1993). The Sonar of Dolphins. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Broome, R. (2005). Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800. Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Clark, ID. (1990). Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900. Monash Publications in Geography, Melbourne.
Clarke, PA. (2008). Aboriginal Healing Practices: Smoke, Fire and Plant Use in South-Eastern Australia. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). (2021). Victorian Whale and Dolphin Conservation Strategy. Melbourne.
Fordyce, RE. (2009). “Cetacean fossil record and the transition from land to sea.” New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 52(4): 379–390.
Gill, PC. et al. (2011). “Blue Whale feeding behaviour at the Bonney Upwelling, southern Australia.” Marine Mammal Science, 27(2): 316–332.
Gunditjmara Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (TOAC). (2023). Sea Country Management Plan. Warrnambool.
Marino, L. et al. (2007). “Cetaceans have complex brains for complex cognition.” PLoS Biology, 5(5): e139.
Payne, R. & McVay, S. (1971). “Songs of Humpback Whales.” Science, 173(3997): 585–597.
Presland, G. (1994). Aboriginal Melbourne: The Lost Land of the Kulin People. Harriland Press, Melbourne.
Pyne, S. (2012). The Burning Bush: A Fire History of Australia. University of Washington Press, Seattle.
Thewissen, JGM. et al. (2001). The Emergence of Whales: Evolutionary Patterns in the Origin of Cetacea. Springer, New York.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
Magic Lands Alliance
Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land and community.
Copyright of MLA – 2025
Magic Lands Alliance acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of communities.