Humpback whales hold lore for Traditional Custodians. But laws don't protect species for their cultural significance

By Jack Pascoe, Research fellow, The University of Melbourne
Anthony McKnight, Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong
Teagan Goolmeer, PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names of deceased people

For saltwater people of Australia’s east and west coasts, humpback whales hold important lore in the form of stories.

For the Yuin people of the east coast, this story is one of a binding promise between whales (Gurawal) and people, as our old mentor and Elder, Uncle Max Harrison taught us.

The ancestors of the whales lived on Country…

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