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Humpbacks Undertake 15,000-km Migrations Across Southern Hemisphere

5/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Scientists uncovered the longest-recorded individual humpback whale migrations linking breeding grounds across the Southern Hemisphere.
Researchers documented whales traveling 14,200 km from Queensland to São Paulo and 15,100 km from Bahia to Hervey Bay between 2007 and 2021.
They matched individuals by analyzing tens of thousands of tail-fluke photographs, noting that rare exchanges can boost genetic diversity, spread cultural songs, and may increase as climate-driven sea-ice and krill shifts expand the Southern Ocean Exchange.

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Story summary

Scientists uncovered the longest-recorded individual humpback whale migrations linking breeding grounds across the Southern Hemisphere.
Researchers documented whales traveling 14,200 km from Queensland to São Paulo and 15,100 km from Bahia to Hervey Bay between 2007 and 2021.
They matched individuals by analyzing tens of thousands of tail-fluke photographs, noting that rare exchanges can boost genetic diversity, spread cultural songs, and may increase as climate-driven sea-ice and krill shifts expand the Southern Ocean Exchange.