A Whale’s Incredible Journey: Across Oceans and 8,000 Miles
A humpback whale has amazed scientists by completing the longest known migration between breeding grounds, shattering previous records. Its incredible 8,000-mile journey spanned three oceans, a testament to the enduring strength and adaptability of these magnificent creatures.
A Journey Across The Globe
Researchers tracking this remarkable individual first photographed the whale in 2013 off the Pacific coast of Colombia. He was later sighted again in a similar location in 2017. But in 2022, he surprised researchers by appearing thousands of miles away off the coast of Zanzibar, an island in the Indian Ocean.
To put it into perspective, this male humpback whale covered a distance equivalent to swimming from London to Tokyo and back, a journey of unusual length even for a species known for long migrations.
Climate Change: A Possible Factor
These long-distance movements between feeding and breeding grounds are essential to humpback whale survival.
However, experts are investigating whether factors like climate change are contributing to these extraordinary journeys.
“Changing climatic and ocean conditions could be driving these migrations to new breeding grounds. It may also be a case that increased competition for mates or food is encouraging individuals to seek new opportunities,” said Darren Croft, a professor of behavioral ecology at the U.K.’s University of Exeter and executive director of the Center for Whale Research.
Citizen Science and the Key Role of Technology
The important discovery was made possible by citizen scientists uploading photographs of whales to
Happywhale.com, a database that allows researchers to track individuals based on unique markings.
“Photographic evidence that confirmed humpback whales switch between breeding grounds,“ explained Ryan Reisinger, associate professor at the University of Southampton and the new report’s handling editor.
“This creates a massive network of sensors, where people are observing and reporting” sightings of whales all over the globe, Reisinger said.
Photographs submitted by members of the public are crucial for mapping the movements of these majestic animals, Reisinger added.
