With whale season now underway, a unique light and sound exhibition is set to celebrate the return of the stunning mammals.
The show at Mooloolaba Beach will fuse the mesmerising soundscapes of humpback whale songs with digital imagery and Indigenous cultural interpretation.
Conceived by Kabi Kabi artist Lyndon Davis, the project is called Tallo-Billa – meaning ‘humpback whale’ in the local Kabi Kabi language – and has been developed in collaboration with sound artist Dr Leah Barclay and photographer Dr Tricia King from the University of the Sunshine Coast.
The project brings together Indigenous knowledge, emerging science, creative practice and innovative technology to translate the calls of whales into imagery.
The exhibition has been done once before using Mudjimba Island but was restricted to people on the boat. This time the light show will be more accessible by utilising the sands of Mooloolaba Beach.
Up to 40,000 whales are expected to pass by the Sunshine Coast between May and November. The Sunshine Coast is a significant point on this migration, with many whales stopping to rest and interact in the area.
The launch event will begin with a First Nations performance from Mr Davis, whose stories, knowledge and didgeridoo playing will create a memorable multi-sensory cultural experience.
The whale songs used in the performance were recorded by Dr Barclay aboard dive and marine tours operator Sunreef’s Whale One from migrating humpback whales that are already traversing the east coast of Australia on their way to the breeding grounds off northern Queensland.
Jonny Fell from Sunreef said the event would be a great way of welcoming the whale season to the Sunshine Coast.
“This is a pioneering project bringing a unique combination of whale song, marine nature and Indigenous culture together to highlight why the Sunshine Coast is such a prime destination to enjoy the magic of whales,” he said.
“We trialled the concept a few years ago converting whale songs into visuals and projecting them onto Mudjimba Island, with Lyndon Davis providing Kabi Kabi interpretation and music. It was a big success and we wanted to expand the opportunity for locals to see this innovative and exciting project come to life on Mooloolaba Beach.
“University of the Sunshine Coast have created world-leading technology to record whale songs and Lyndon’s renowned art brings the whale migration to life in a way that no one has done before.”
The free public Tallo-Billa event will be staged for the first time on Mooloolaba Beach on Saturday, June 7, from 6-7pm.
Sunreef will then operate Tallo-Billa: Deep Listening at Dusk cruises on August 24 and September 21 and 28. On September 13 Whale One will host whale watching at dusk before settling at Mudjimba Island to experience live whale song, First Nations storytelling and cymatic projections onto the rock face of Mudjimba Island.
Whale watching tours are available on the Sunshine Coast until October with operators including Sunreef, Epic Ocean Adventures, Cavalier Cruises, Adventure Rafting Mooloolaba and Noosa Thriller Ocean Adventures. Sunreef and The Pressure Project also offer ‘Swimming with Whales’ experiences throughout the season.
Tallo-Billa is being supported by Sunshine Coast Council, Visit Sunshine Coast, University of the Sunshine Coast, Discover Mooloolaba, Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation and the Queensland and Australian governments.
