Working with Killers
Bega Valley locals might know of the rich history between orcas and fishers at Eden’s Twofold Bay. But if you’re reading this and wondering what we’re blubbering on about, then we have a whale-y crazy story to tell!
Since time immemorial, whales, dolphins and orcas have been a central feature of the First Nations Yuin cultural dreaming and life. Whale songlines spanning hundreds of kilometres along the coast, calling and celebrating the magnificent humpback whale migration (see Fuller, 2020 for more on this).
At Eden, on far south coast of New South Wales, baleen and humpback whale beachings were often considered an offering made by orcas (or killer whales) out at sea. Orcas possessed by the spirits of Yuin ancestors past. The intimate relationship between orcas and Yuin people in this region also laid the foundation for a spectacular, albeit brutal, symbiosis that was developed between orcas and whale hunters from 1840.
ABC TV documentary about the Killers of Eden (30 minute watch)
When the whaling industry was established at Twofold Bay, European whalers (with the assistance of some Yuin fishers) began to exploit the orca’s lust for the whale's prized portion - the juicy tongue. A resident pod of orcas began to herd passing whales into the bay at Eden, alerting the local fisherman and corralling the whales in the bay until a nearby boat could navigate the dark harbour and make their kill. Once a whale was harpooned, the orcas get their reward. With a cheeky expectancy, they would splash and squeak around the whaling boats, as the men cut out the whale’s tongue and threw it overboard. This was much easier for the orcas than ripping out the tongue themselves. It was much more efficient than the old bait-at-sea techniques for the fishermen, too.
There is a lot more to this story, which you can learn at Eden Killer Whale Museum. Our personal favourite was about the local, well-nourished orca named ‘Old Tom’.
You can find the museum at 184 Imlay St, Eden NSW 2551.
Next, read about ORRCA…
From orcas to ORRCA, read our latest interview with the marine rescue volunteers on the NSW coast.