Two humpback whales complete record 14,500 km crossings between Australia and Brazil

Scientists have documented two humpback whales completing separate, record-breaking migrations between breeding grounds in eastern Australia and Brazil, marking the first confirmed evidence of such an extreme open-ocean crossing for the species. The whales traveled approximately 14,500 kilometers (about 9,000 miles) in opposite directions, with one individual covering an estimated 15,100 kilometers, setting a new record for the longest confirmed distance traveled by a humpback whale.

The discovery, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, was made by an international team of researchers who analyzed over 19,000 photographs of whale flukes, or tail fins, collected over four decades. Using recognition software to match the unique patterns and jagged edges on the whales' tails, scientists identified two individuals that appeared at breeding sites in both Australia and Brazil years apart. This photographic evidence provides the first empirical confirmation of direct movement between these distant populations.

Phillip Clapham, former head of a NOAA whale research program who was not involved in the study, described the event as very rare and a wonderful demonstration of...