Survey shows record numbers of humpback whales in New Zealand waters

Humpback whale numbers in New Zealand waters are recovering from the effects of whaling which ended five decades ago, conservation officials said Monday after counting record numbers on their annual migration.

Observers counted 137 humpback whales swimming through the Cook Strait, between the North and South islands, during the annual four-week survey -- the highest number in 12 years of the survey, said the Department of Conservation (DOC).

The highest number of humpbacks previously recorded in the survey was 106 in 2012 with the second highest at 92, last year.

"The higher number of humpback whales being seen indicates the New Zealand population is recovering, but we are not yet seeing the extraordinary rates of increase they have in Australia of around 11 percent a year," Nadine Bott, leader of the DOC- organized survey, said in a statement.

"Perhaps that is something we will enjoy in our waters in the future."

A surprise sighting during the survey was a rare white humpback whale, spotted on July 5, which was identified as being the famous Migaloo, a whale that usually migrated past Australia.

Another special sighting was a newborn humpback calf on July 7, only the second reported in New Zealand.

Blue and sperm whales and a southern right whale were also seen by the survey team.

The DOC research is aimed at assessing humpback whale recovery since commercial whaling ceased in 1964, and the annual surveys are timed for their migration from Antarctica to warmer South Pacific breeding grounds.

Whales are approached by boat to collect photos and skin samples using a biopsy dart tool that are used to identify individual whales.

DNA testing had shown four humpback whales had been seen twice during the 12 years of the survey. Endi