Adress of the consortium:
The Secretariat
South Pacific Whale Research Consortium
P.O. Box 3069
Avarua, Rarotonga
Cook Islands

The South Pacific Whale Research Consortium (SPWRC) was originally constituted informally in 2000. It was formed by independent scientists to coordinate and facilitate research on  whales in the South Pacific region. Data are collected on all large whales and the Consortium serves to promote a better understanding of the biology and behavior of all cetacean species in the region.
 Members have been involved in field studies initiated as early as 1991 in New Caledonia, the Kingdom of Tonga, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, as well as eastern Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific coast of South America, the Ross Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula. One of the study is to investigate the status of humpback and other whale species in the region of Oceania, including New Zealand and eastern Australia.
Members of the SPWRC met at the University of Auckland in 2000, 2001 and 2002, to compare and review data collected during the 2000 and previous seasons.
The combined photographic identification catalogues of humpback whale flukes from winter grounds of Oceania now includes 763 individuals and has provided the first evidence of migratory return and interchange among many of the island groups (Garrigue et al., 2001 and 2002).
Results have been presented to the International Whaling Commission in 2000 in Adelaide (Australia) in order to promote the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary Project (Garrigue et al., 2000).

For more information go to : www.whaleresearch.org

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