Researchers uncover longest whale journey ever documented
Researchers have documented the longest whale journey ever recorded, with two humpback whales traveling from Queensland, Australia, to Brazil. Using a citizen science database, they identified the whales through unique fluke photographs. This study provides the first photographic evidence of movement between distinct breeding populations of humpback whales.
- ▪Two humpback whales traveled from Hervey Bay, Queensland, to Brazil, covering distances of 14,200 kilometers and 15,100 kilometers respectively.
- ▪The research utilized a citizen science platform called Happywhale, analyzing 20,000 photographs taken since the 1980s.
- ▪This is the first photographic evidence linking distinct breeding ground populations of humpback whales.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Researchers uncover longest whale journey ever documented with fluke photosNBy Nikki SorbelloABC Wide BayTopic:AnimalsWed 20 May 2026 at 9:01amWed 20 May 2026 at 9:01amWed 20 May 2026 at 9:01amResearchers have found two humpback whales that travelled between Queensland and Brazil. (Supplied: Pacific Whale Foundation)In short: Researchers using a citizen science database found two whales that had travelled between Hervey Bay in Queensland to Brazil in South America.They used photographs of tails, or flukes, to identify the animals.Researchers say it is the first photographic evidence that whales move between breeding ground populations.abc.net.au/news/whales-travelling-between-continents-found-in-photo-research/106697918Link copiedShareShare articleRecord distances travelled by whale…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).