Male humpback whale travels record-breaking distance for breeding purposes

An international team of marine biologists, oceanographers and cetacean specialists has found evidence of a male humpback whale traveling a record-breaking distance, likely in order to breed. In their study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group analyzed pictures from an image database and discovered evidence of the same male in two quite distant regions.

Prior research has shown that humpback whales are capable of traveling great distances—they typically migrate from cold water regions near the poles to warm regions in the tropics. Such journeys can be as long as 8,000 kilometers. They are also pretty predictable, which is why this new finding was so surprising.

In studying images posted on the Happywhale image database, members of the team found pictures of a mature male adult humpback amidst a group of similar whales off the coast of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean dated to 2013. Nine years later, the same whale appeared in photos amidst another group of whales, this time off the coast of Zanzibar, in the Indian Ocean, approximately 13,046 kilometers distant from where it had first been spotted.

Because the whale was spotted at both sites swimming among other whales of its kind, including females, its voyage marks a record distance traveled for breeding purposes by a male humpback.

The research team notes that such a journey would have taken the whale down the western coast of South America, around the Cape Horn, across the Atlantic Ocean and around the Cape of Good Hope before making its way into the Indian Ocean. They also note that the route would have allowed the whale to ride prevailing currents, making the journey somewhat easier.

The researchers suggest it is possible the male encountered several groups of humpbacks along the way, perhaps mating with some of them before moving on, further suggesting the motivation for its trip was procreation. Climate change’s impact on food sources could also present another reason for the whale’s journey.

The researchers were able to identify the male in photographs by noting the unique set of notches on its tail as it rose above the surface of the water. They suggest their findings show that humpback whale migrations are more flexible than prior research has shown.

© 2024 Science X Network

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