This epic migration, reaching over 13,000 km from Colombia to Zanzibar, showcases the extraordinary travels of humpback whales, raising concerns about environmental impacts on their behavior.
Remarkable Journey of Humpback Whale Surprises Scientists
Remarkable Journey of Humpback Whale Surprises Scientists
A humpback whale undertakes one of the longest migration journeys on record, posing questions about climate change’s role.
The article text:
A humpback whale has made a striking and record-breaking migration, astonishing scientists with its unprecedented journey. First sighted in the Pacific waters off Colombia in 2017, the same whale re-emerged years later near Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean, covering a remarkable distance of over 13,000 km. Researchers speculate that climate changes could be affecting food availability or driving the whale in search of a mate.
Ekaterina Kalashnikova, a researcher with the Tanzania Cetaceans Program, described the migration as “truly impressive and unusual,” even for an already migratory species like the humpback whale. The whale was photographed off the coast of Zanzibar in 2022, marking a rare sighting and further extending its travel record. Dr. Kalashnikova noted that this migration likely stands as the longest ever recorded for a humpback whale.
Humpback whales inhabit oceans globally and are known for their extensive migrations, traveling from warmer breeding areas to cooler feeding zones. However, this male's journey was particularly remarkable as it connected two vastly different breeding sites. One hypothesis among researchers points toward climate change leading to a reduction in krill, the whale's principal food source, thus pushing it to travel longer distances in the hunt for sustenance. Another possibility is that recovering whale populations could be exploring new breeding locations due to global conservation efforts.
“While the definitive reasons are still unclear, various factors may be at play including global climate changes, an increase in extreme environmental events, and the species’ evolutionary adaptations,” said Dr. Kalashnikova.
The wandering male whale was part of a group photographed by a research vessel along the Colombian Pacific coast in 2013. It was subsequently identified in the same area in 2017 and again off Zanzibar in 2022. The 13,046 km great-circle distance recorded is the minimum possible traveled distance the whale could have taken, and it’s likely that the actual journey was much longer, as the shortest path on a sphere is defined as the great circle distance.
The research findings are based on data collected from countless photographs submitted by researchers and compassionate whale watchers to the citizen science platform, happywhale.com. This database employs artificial intelligence to identify the distinct shapes and patterns of humpback whale tails, enabling scientists to track their global movements. The results of this study have been published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
A humpback whale has made a striking and record-breaking migration, astonishing scientists with its unprecedented journey. First sighted in the Pacific waters off Colombia in 2017, the same whale re-emerged years later near Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean, covering a remarkable distance of over 13,000 km. Researchers speculate that climate changes could be affecting food availability or driving the whale in search of a mate.
Ekaterina Kalashnikova, a researcher with the Tanzania Cetaceans Program, described the migration as “truly impressive and unusual,” even for an already migratory species like the humpback whale. The whale was photographed off the coast of Zanzibar in 2022, marking a rare sighting and further extending its travel record. Dr. Kalashnikova noted that this migration likely stands as the longest ever recorded for a humpback whale.
Humpback whales inhabit oceans globally and are known for their extensive migrations, traveling from warmer breeding areas to cooler feeding zones. However, this male's journey was particularly remarkable as it connected two vastly different breeding sites. One hypothesis among researchers points toward climate change leading to a reduction in krill, the whale's principal food source, thus pushing it to travel longer distances in the hunt for sustenance. Another possibility is that recovering whale populations could be exploring new breeding locations due to global conservation efforts.
“While the definitive reasons are still unclear, various factors may be at play including global climate changes, an increase in extreme environmental events, and the species’ evolutionary adaptations,” said Dr. Kalashnikova.
The wandering male whale was part of a group photographed by a research vessel along the Colombian Pacific coast in 2013. It was subsequently identified in the same area in 2017 and again off Zanzibar in 2022. The 13,046 km great-circle distance recorded is the minimum possible traveled distance the whale could have taken, and it’s likely that the actual journey was much longer, as the shortest path on a sphere is defined as the great circle distance.
The research findings are based on data collected from countless photographs submitted by researchers and compassionate whale watchers to the citizen science platform, happywhale.com. This database employs artificial intelligence to identify the distinct shapes and patterns of humpback whale tails, enabling scientists to track their global movements. The results of this study have been published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
