Overview
- A study published June 19, 2026 in Frontiers in Marine Science used 14 satellite tags to collect just over 1,800 locations with tags transmitting for an average of 53 days.
- Most tagged whales stayed close to Oman, with roughly 57 percent of locations in the Gulf of Masirah and strong site fidelity between that area and Hallaniyat Bay.
- One female named Luban was tracked east across the Arabian Sea to off Goa in western India and returned to Oman, covering about 4,350 miles on her round trip.
- Researchers link the local movements to tracking inshore prey such as sardines and deeper dives to search for krill, with monsoon-driven upwelling creating year-round feeding habitat.
- Authors say the telemetry clarifies where this ~80‑animal endangered population forages and urge more vessel surveys and targeted measures to reduce fishing and climate threats to key habitats.