Researchers document longest humpback whale migrations between Brazil and Australia using fluke photos
Consensus Summary
Researchers using the Happywhale citizen science platform identified two humpback whales that traveled unprecedented distances between Brazil and Queensland, Australia. One whale swam 15,100 km from Abrolhos Bank in 2003 to Hervey Bay in 2025, while another traveled 14,200 km from Hervey Bay to São Paulo between 2013 and 2019. These journeys, documented via unique fluke patterns, mark the first photographic evidence of mixing between Brazilian and eastern Australian humpback populations. The study, published in *Royal Society Open Science*, analyzed over 19,000 fluke photos collected since 1984 and suggests such long migrations may be rare, single-lifetime events. Scientists emphasize the need for international conservation efforts, as climate change could further disrupt whale migration patterns.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Two humpback whales were identified via fluke photos as traveling between Brazil and Queensland, Australia, with one whale traveling 15,100 km from Abrolhos Bank (Bahia, Brazil) in 2003 to Hervey Bay (Queensland) in 2025.
- The second whale traveled 14,200 km from Hervey Bay (Queensland) in 2013 to São Paulo, Brazil, in 2019.
- Researchers used the Happywhale citizen science platform, which contains 20,000+ fluke photos (ABC) or 19,283 photos (Guardian) collected between 1984–2025.
- The study was published in *Royal Society Open Science* and co-authored by Griffith University PhD candidate Stephanie Stack.
- Whale flukes were used for identification, with unique pigment patterns, scars, and shapes acting like fingerprints.
- The two whales represent the first photographic evidence of mixing between Brazilian and eastern Australian humpback populations.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Wally Franklin, a marine scientist with the Oceania Project, has studied humpback whales in Hervey Bay since the 1980s.
- Stephanie Stack mentioned that whales pass behaviors and knowledge to one another, aiding genetic diversity post-whaling.
- A citizen scientist contributed some of the photos used to identify the traveling whales.
- The study analyzed photos from the 1980s to 2025, with Happywhale collating data since the 1970s.
- The article notes that the whales' routes between sightings remain unknown, described as a 'complete mystery'.
- Ted Cheeseman, a Southern Cross University whale biologist and co-founder of Happywhale, developed an AI algorithm for fluke identification.
- The study suggests these long-distance migrations may be rare, single-lifetime events rather than regular patterns.
- Stephanie Stack highlighted the need for international collaboration in marine conservation due to whales' cross-border migrations.
- The article mentions climate change may alter migration patterns, citing threats to Antarctic krill populations.
- The typical Australian humpback migration loop is ~10,000 km between Antarctic feeding grounds and Great Barrier Reef breeding grounds.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states the Happywhale database contains 20,000 photos, while the Guardian says 19,283 photos were analyzed in the study.
- ABC mentions the second whale was first photographed in 2003 at Abrolhos Bank among nine adults, but the Guardian does not specify the group size.
Source Articles
Researchers uncover longest whale journey ever documented
Scientists analysing a database of photos find two humpback whales travelled from Queensland to Brazil, covering a record distance of 14,200km.
Twenty-two years and 15,000km later: fluke discovery sets new record for humpback whale journey
Whale first photographed off the coast of Brazil in 2003 spotted off north-east Australia in September 2025 Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A humpback whale has made a 15,000km journey from Brazil to Australia, marking what researchers believe is the longest distance ever documented between sightings of an individual humpback. The whale was first photographed in 2003 at the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil’s main humpback w