Researchers have discovered a humpback whale that undertook an astonishing 13,046km (8,077-mile) migration between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The whale’s journey spanned over 7,000 miles more than the shortest possible route, raising questions about what drove this epic voyage.
According to scientists, climate change is believed to be a key factor in the whale’s decision to migrate such an enormous distance. As oceans warm, krill – a crucial component of humpback whales’ diet – are either dying off or shifting to more suitable waters. This could have led the whale to seek alternative feeding grounds.
The incredible journey began in 2017 when the whale was spotted off Colombia’s coast in the Pacific Ocean. After nearly disappearing from view for years, it resurfaced in the Indian Ocean, some 8,000 miles away. Since then, researchers have only caught glimpses of the whale a handful of times.
“This is one of the longest documented great-circle distances between wintering grounds of two different ocean basins of an adult male humpback whale,” said Ekaterina Kalashnikova of the Tanzania Cetaceans Program.
While exact reasons for the whale’s migration are unknown, scientists speculate that climate change, extreme environmental events, and evolutionary adaptations may have played a role.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/researchers-stunned-humpback-whale-staggeringly-205632766.html