Humpback whale’s unprecedented 8,000-mile migration breaks records

A humpback whale has made an extraordinary migration of 8,000 miles and across three oceans, breaking the record for the longest documented journey between breeding sites. The extraordinary journey, reported in Royal Society Open Science, is thought to be influenced by changing ocean conditions or evolving mating strategies, as the researchers suggest. According to Professor Darren Croft, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter and executive director of the Center for Whale Research, these migrations may be due to changes in food availability due to climate change or competition for mates to discover new areas. Croft shared his insights with NBC News, calling the research an important discovery highlighting the extensive distances traveled by humpback whales.

Migration from Colombia to Zanzibar

According to sources, the whale was initially photographed off the Pacific coast of Colombia in 2013 and was spotted again in the same area in 2017. By 2022, it was identified in the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar, a remarkable jump from its previous locations. As Croft told NBC News, this migration covered the equivalent distance of swimming from London to Tokyo and back.

The findings, supported by photographic evidence from citizen science platform HappyWhale.com, confirm that humpback whales can change breeding sites. Ryan Risinger, associate professor at the University of Southampton and handling editor of the report, expressed excitement about the study in a statement, and emphasized the importance of photographic data in understanding whale movements.

Climate change and marine migration

Humpback whales typically migrate between cooler feeding areas in the summer and warmer breeding areas in the winter. According to reports, these findings raise questions about whether advanced technology is simply improving tracking capabilities or whether environmental changes caused by climate change are affecting migratory behavior. Risinger, speaking to NBC News, said more data is needed to fully understand these patterns.

Marine species, including whales, are being forced to adapt to changing ocean conditions. The use of AI and satellite imaging in tracking whale movements provides researchers with valuable data to analyze these changes.