Abyss Project Australia

03/09/2026

🌊🐦 H5 BIRD FLU: A SECOND CONFIRMED CASE IN WOLLONGONG

Today, the City of Wollongong has confirmed a second Greater Crested Tern has tested positive for H5 avian influenza, this time after being found at the Port Kembla Southern Breakwater.

This one feels particularly close to home.

The first confirmed case was a Greater Crested Tern found near Windang last week. Now, with a second case at Port Kembla, we know H5 bird flu is present in our local environment and we need to take the situation seriously.

For everyone who spends time around our coastline, please do not touch sick or dead birds or other wildlife.

If you see an animal that appears sick or dead:

🐦 Keep your distance
📍 Record where you found it
📸 Take a photo from a safe distance if you can
📞 Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline: 1800 675 888
🐕 Keep dogs and cats away from sick or dead wildlife
🚫 Please don’t feed wild birds or encourage them to congregate

The advice is simple, but reporting is incredibly important. Every report helps authorities understand where the virus is occurring and how it is moving through our wildlife populations.

For those of us who know and love the Five Islands, there is understandably a lot of concern.

These islands are home to an extraordinary concentration of seabirds and marine wildlife, and we are continuing to watch the situation closely.

So today, we are holding two things at once: being realistic about the seriousness of H5, while remaining hopeful for our wildlife. 💙

The Five Islands have endured storms, disease, changing oceans and countless other pressures. We hope they can be spared the worst of this outbreak.

For now, the best thing we can do is stay informed, stay observant, report what we see and give wildlife the space it needs.

Let’s look after our coastline and the incredible wildlife that calls it home. 🌊🐦🦭💙

Please share this information reporting matters.

Official update from Wollongong City Council: Second confirmed case of H5 bird flu for Wollongong

A second greater crested tern was found on the jetty near the Port Kembla Southern Breakwater. It follows a positive case in the same species found near Windang boat ramp last week.

01/09/2026

Sorry I’ve been MIA this week, I’m currently in Canberra for AMSA 2026 sharing both my professional work with Abyss Project Australia and my academic contribution to Process Literacy; Ocean literacy’s application in marine governance.

Looking forward to being back on the Five Islands with you all soon.

27/08/2026

🦭💙 A BRAND NEW ARRIVAL AT THE FIVE ISLANDS!

We’ve got some very exciting news from the Five Islands Nature Reserve… a baby Australian Fur Seal has been born on Big Island 🥹🦭

Born in August 2026, this tiny new arrival is already adding to the incredible story of life unfolding around the Five Islands.

Australian Fur Seals use the islands as an important haul-out and breeding area, and seeing a new pup here is a very special reminder of just how valuable these islands and surrounding waters are for our marine wildlife. 🌊💙

For those of us lucky enough to spend time around the Five Islands, watching these animals from a respectful distance is something pretty extraordinary.

Welcome to the world, little one! 🦭✨

The Five Islands just got a little more wild. 🌊

Photo credit: Victor Hawk

26/08/2026

🌊🐦 H5 BIRD FLU DETECTED IN THE ILLAWARRA AN UPDATE FROM FIVE ISLANDS

The NSW Government has confirmed the first detection of H5 bird flu in the Illawarra, after a Greater Crested Tern found near Windang tested positive.

For those who know and love the Five Islands, this is understandably concerning.

The Five Islands Nature Reserve was identified by the NSW Government as one of 34 priority sites requiring specific H5 bird flu preparedness planning.

These sites have been identified because they support important and potentially vulnerable wildlife populations. The preparedness planning includes species risk assessments, targeted surveillance, response planning and coordination between government agencies, wildlife organisations and land managers.

Five Islands is particularly significant because of the incredible concentration of seabirds and marine wildlife that use these waters and islands.

The NSW Government's risk assessment recognises that seabirds, shorebirds and waterbirds gathering in large numbers can be particularly vulnerable to H5 bird flu. Marine mammals, including seals and sea lions, can also be affected.

💙 OUR OBSERVATIONS FROM THE WEEKEND

Over the weekend, we spent more than six hours on the water around the Five Islands, observing the wildlife and documenting what we were seeing.

At this stage, we did not observe any obvious signs of illness, unusual behaviour or mass wildlife mortality around the islands.

We saw healthy and active seabirds and marine wildlife continuing to use the islands and surrounding waters.

We are particularly vigilant at the moment and will continue to closely observe the wildlife we encounter during our charters, documenting and reporting anything unusual through the appropriate channels.

🔎 WHAT SHOULD THE PUBLIC DO?

If you encounter sick or dead birds or marine mammals:

AVOID contact with the animal or its environment.

RECORD what you see! Photographs, video and the location can be extremely valuable.

REPORT it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Public reporting is an important part of Australia's surveillance system, with early detection critical to understanding where the virus is occurring and how it may be affecting wildlife.

As an organisation working in and around the Five Islands, we will continue to observe, document and report what we see.

The islands are an incredibly important wildlife refuge and right now, careful observation and good information matter more than ever.

We know the initial wave of an outbreak can be particularly devastating for wildlife, so we remain hopeful that the Five Islands and the incredible animals that call them home will be spared the worst of this outbreak.

For now, we’ll keep watching, documenting and sharing what we see and hoping these remarkable islands will continue to thrive. 🌊💙🐦

Photo credit Jody Langlois

26/08/2026

🌊🐋 WILD ENCOUNTERS OF PORT KEMBLA | FIVE ISLANDS ECO ADVENTURE 🦭🐦

There’s something pretty special about heading out from Port Kembla and discovering just how much wildlife is right on our doorstep. 💙

Around the Five Islands Nature Reserve, these waters become a seasonal meeting place for an incredible diversity of marine life including remarkable migratory seabirds travelling thousands of kilometres across the Southern Ocean. 🌏🌊

🐋 Humpback whales on their annual migration
🦭 Australian fur seals around Martin Islet
🐬 Dolphins travelling around the islands
🪶A Birder's Paradise
🐦 Sooty Oystercatchers
🐦 Great Cormorants & Crested Terns
🦅 Ospreys & White-bellied Sea Eagles
🐦 Tens of thousands of Silver Gulls
🐦 Shearwaters
🐦 Giant Petrels & Albatrosses
🪶 And many other seabirds and coastal species

From the open ocean to the rocky islands, every trip offers the chance to witness a different part of this incredibly dynamic marine ecosystem.

This highlight reel captures just a glimpse of what you can experience on an Abyss Project Five Islands Eco Tour a 90-minute marine adventure exploring the waters around Port Kembla and Wollongong.

It’s not just whale watching.
It’s not just a boat trip.

It’s a chance to experience, understand and connect with the incredible marine environment on our doorstep. 🌊🔬💙

As a marine scientist, this is what I love most about these tours is sharing the science, and wildlife of the Illawarra coastline while helping people see the ocean a little differently. Hopefully inspiring a new generation of ocean stewardship.

🎥 Cinematography & Edit: Victor Hawk

📍 Port Kembla & Five Islands, NSW
🚤 Five Islands Eco Tours | Abyss Project Australia

🎬 Watch the full film: https://youtu.be/hSrgr-kXSi8

26/08/2026

🌊🐋 WILD ENCOUNTERS OF PORT KEMBLA | FIVE ISLANDS ECO ADVENTURE 🦭🐦

There’s something pretty special about heading out from Port Kembla and discovering just how much wildlife is right on our doorstep. 💙

Around the Five Islands Nature Reserve, these waters become a seasonal meeting place for an incredible diversity of marine life, including remarkable migratory seabirds travelling thousands of kilometres across the Southern Ocean. 🌏🌊

🐋 Humpback whales on their annual migration
🦭 Australian fur seals around Martin Islet
🐬 Dolphins travelling around the islands

🪶 A BIRDER’S PARADISE 🪶
🐦 Sooty Oystercatchers
🐦 Great Cormorants & Crested Terns
🦅 Ospreys & White-bellied Sea Eagles
🐦 Tens of thousands of Silver Gulls
🐦 Shearwaters
🐦 Giant Petrels & Albatrosses
🪶 And many other seabirds and coastal species

From the open ocean to the rocky islands, every trip offers the chance to witness a different part of this incredibly dynamic marine ecosystem.

This highlight reel captures just a glimpse of what you can experience on an Abyss Project Five Islands Eco Tour a 90-minute marine adventure exploring the waters around Port Kembla and Wollongong.

It’s not just whale watching.
It’s not just a boat trip.

It’s a chance to experience, understand and connect with the incredible marine environment on our doorstep. 🌊🔬💙

As a marine scientist, this is what I love most about these tours — sharing the science and wildlife of the Illawarra coastline, helping people see the ocean a little differently, and hopefully inspiring a new generation of ocean stewardship. 🌊💙

🎥 Cinematography & Edit: Victor Hawk

📍 Port Kembla & Five Islands, NSW
🚤 Five Islands Eco Tours | Abyss Project Australia

🎬 Watch the full film: https://youtu.be/hSrgr-kXSi8

Wild Encounters of Port Kembla | Five Islands Eco AdventureSet ou...