Humpback whales change their direction of travel when they are within three kilometres of noises produced during gas and oil exploration off Australia's coast, a large-scale research project has found.

The multi-million dollar project, funded by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, was tendered to researchers from across the country as part of a wider study into the Behavioural Response of Australian Humpback whales to Seismic Surveys (BRAHSS).

The experiment found humpback whales moved away from the sound of airguns when they came within three kilometres of the vessel they were fired from. Credit:iStock

The researchers, who were not restricted or directed to a specific study topic, wanted to understand how seismic airguns affect humpback whales' movements.

Lead author of the study, University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science senior lecturer Rebecca Dunlop, said airguns were often used along the coast of Western Australia during oil and gas exploration.