Scientists have confirmed that a humpback whale traveled at least 15,100 kilometers between breeding grounds in Brazil and Australia, marking the longest known journey for any individual of the species.
The finding comes from a study published in Royal Society Open Science that analyzed nearly 20,000 fluke photographs collected over four decades. Researchers identified the whale through unique tail markings first photographed at Brazil's Abrolhos Bank in 2003 and later spotted alone in Australia's Hervey Bay in September 2025. A second whale covered a minimum of 14,200 kilometers after sightings in Queensland in 2007 and near São Paulo in 2019.
