The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has carried out a census of southern right whales, or tohora, in the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, the agency said in a statement.
Air Commodore Tim Walshe, the NZDF's Air Component Commander, said more than 100 whales were spotted during a surveillance patrol by a Royal New Zealand Air Force p-3K2 Orion aircraft at Auckland Islands and Campbell Island.
"In this Orion patrol, we took aerial photos to assist the Department of Conservation (DOC) in tracking individual whales, building a better picture of the species as a whole and monitoring the recovery of these protected species," Air Commodore Walshe said.
DOC Manager Marine Species and Threats Ian Angus said the census results found that the southern right whale population, which is classified as 'nationally vulnerable', is continuing to recover from the significant impact of whaling and other threats.
Whaling decimated the southern right whale population from more than 30,000 at the turn of the 20th century to less than 150 in 1920, DOC said. Their number was estimated at 2000 in 2009.
"We've always known that the southern right whales spend the winter and spring around the Sub-Antarctic Islands but getting down there at this time of the year is challenging," Mr Angus said.
"In partnership with the NZDF, we have been able to monitor some of our wildlife and continue to understand when and how southern right whales are using the Sub-Antarctic Islands.
"We're looking forward to working with the NZDF and other researchers to glean all the information from the many images that were taken."
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