Humpback whales shatter records with extraordinary 9000 mile ocean journey

Scientists have unveiled the extraordinary journeys of two humpback whales, each completing separate, record-breaking crossings between Australia and Brazil.

The remarkable voyages, spanning approximately 9,000 miles (14,500 kilometres), challenge long-held assumptions about the species' migratory patterns.

The individual whales were identified through their unique tail markings, observed at both their departure and arrival points. Travelling in opposite directions, their epic treks represent the longest known distances covered by any humpback whale to date.

Phillip Clapham, a former head of a NOAA whale research programme not involved in the study, commented: "It’s a very rare event, but it is a really wonderful demonstration of just how wide-ranging these animals are."

Pacific Whale Foundation via AP

Humpback whales are renowned for their extensive, predictable migrations across major oceans, typically following routes learned from their mothers. They feed on krill and small fish in warmer months and breed in tropical waters during winter. However, tracking creatures that spend most of their lives beneath the waves presents a significant challenge.

To uncover these unprecedented journeys, scientists meticulously analysed over 19,000 whale images collected over the past four decades by both research groups and citizen scientists. Specialised recognition software was employed to match whales based on the distinctive colour patterns and jagged edges of their tails.

This allowed researchers to pinpoint the same two whales at breeding sites in eastern Australia and Brazil across different years, confirming their incredible trans-oceanic travels. One whale’s journey alone exceeded 9,300 miles (15,000 kilometres), surpassing previous records. The findings were published on Tuesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

While the exact routes remain unknown, as the photos only capture the start and end points, the motivation behind these unusual crossings between mating sites is still a mystery.

Study co-author Stephanie Stack, from the Pacific Whale Foundation, suggested they might have encountered other whales in shared feeding grounds and subsequently diverged from their usual return paths.

(Pacific Whale Foundation via AP)

Stack added: "Finding not one but two individuals that have crossed between Australia and Brazil challenges what we thought we knew about how separate these populations really are."

These extraordinary odysseys highlight the incredible endurance of humpback whales. The research also offers valuable insights for monitoring these magnificent creatures as climate change continues to warm oceans, potentially altering krill habitats and influencing future feeding and breeding grounds.