Scientists astonished at whale’s epic migration. Image: Serenbona
(The Post News)- Scientists have discovered that a humpback whale has made one of the longest and most unusual migrations ever recorded, which could be caused by climate change. The whale was spotted in the Pacific Ocean off Colombia in 2017, and in 2022, it showed up again near Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean, a distance of at least 13,000 km.
According to experts, the cause of this journey may be due to climate change depleting food supplies or a quest to find a mate. Ekaterina Kalashnikova of the Tanzania Cetacean Program claims the feat was truly impressive and unusual, even for this highly migratory species. According to Dr. Kalashnikova, it may have been the longest distance a humpback whale had ever recorded traveling.
Although these creatures are known to travel long distances annually as they migrate to better feeding grounds in cooler waters, this whale’s journey was more significant as it involved two distant breeding grounds. There are some theories surrounding why the whale traveled such a long distance. One theory is that climate change is altering the supply of tiny shrimp-like krill that the whales feed on. The other theory is that these creatures could be exploring new breeding grounds as populations rebound through global conservation efforts.
Scientists claim that the sightings of this whale have been separated by a 13,046 km great-circle distance, which is the minimum distance for the route the whale could have taken. However, it is suspected that the distance may be much greater.
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