An international team of scientists behind this research has documented the longest migration of a male humpback whale. What accounts for this remarkable record? An adult humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) began its journey from the Pacific coast of Colombia, traveling with a group of seven other whales in July 2013. It completed its trek in August 2022 off the coast of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. Researchers were astonished to find that the whale had covered more than 13,000 kilometers from its original observation point.
Humpback whales are known for having the longest migrations of any marine mammals. Depending on the season, they travel from tropical breeding grounds to colder feeding areas. Some can cover distances of around 8,000 kilometers. Typically, humpback whales migrate north to south or vice versa. However, a longitudinal movement from east to west across oceans is quite unusual, as reported by IFLScience.
According to the researchers, they measured the distance using the “shortest path between two observation points—along the great circle arc—taking into account the spherical surface of the Earth.” This was the longest recorded distance along a great circle arc and marked the first such record for a humpback whale. “It was an exciting discovery that we reacted to immediately; we even thought there might have been some mistake,” said study co-author Ted Chizmar.
So, why did the whale swim such a vast distance? Scientists considered possible motivations that might have driven the whale to venture so far. The team suggested that global warming could have affected the distribution of krill in the whale’s feeding areas, prompting it to travel great distances in search of food. Another possible explanation is that the male humpback whale was seeking new breeding grounds. Typically, these marine mammals are loyal to established feeding territories, and only a few individuals dare to move between them. Previous studies have suggested that females of this species may venture far, particularly in search of younger males. The findings of this research were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.