Humpback Whale Tracked From Brazil to Australia Sets 15,100 km Record

Overview

• The study published Thursday confirms two humpback whales moved between eastern Australia and Brazil and that one individual traveled at least 15,100 km, the longest confirmed distance for the species.
• Researchers matched 19,283 high‑quality fluke photos from 1984–2025 using the Happywhale platform with automated image matching and manual checks to verify the identifications.
• These transoceanic events are very rare in the dataset, accounting for roughly 0.01% of nearly 20,000 identified humpbacks, so they do not reflect common migratory behavior.
• Scientists say occasional crossings can matter for long‑term population health by helping gene flow and spreading song types and warn that Antarctic sea‑ice and krill changes from climate shifts could make such movements more likely.
• Local observers who supplied key photos are forming a citizen‑science group called Probaleia to expand photo‑ID coverage and improve early detection and monitoring of future long‑distance movements.