Seeing a whale in the wild takes your breath away. But so much of what they do remains mysterious. Join Natasha Mitchell with two world leading whale researchers unearthing the secret world of cetaceans. You'll want to change jobs when you hear what they get up to!  Thousands of humpback whales will soon leave their Summer feeding grounds in Antarctica with full bellies to begin the world's longest mammalian migration. How do they live, breed, behave, survive, thrive?  Commercial whaling might have declined, but can we work out what these magnificent creatures make of what's happening in their home now — from offshore oil drilling and seismic testing to ship collisions and climate change?   

This event was hosted by the Island Whale Festival Phillip Island. Find out more about the festival held annually in July. 

Listen to the rest of our special series Animals — Us and Them?

Speakers

Dr Barry McGovern Cetacean scientist Australian Research Associate, Pacific Whale Foundation

Dr Pete Gill Cetacean scientist Founder and CEO of The Blue Whale Study