By Nikki Sorbello

ABC Wide Bay

Topic: Animals

Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 9:01 am

Researchers found two humpback whales that traveled between Queensland and Brazil.

In short:

Researchers found two whales that traveled from Hervey Bay in Queensland to Brazil in South America.

They used photos of tails to identify the animals.

This is the first photo proof that whales move between breeding groups.

Record distances traveled by whales were found in new research.

Using a citizen science platform, researchers looked at 20,000 whale photos from the 1980s to now.

Scientists used photos of whale tails to identify individual whales and found two that traveled across the Pacific Ocean.

Researchers looked at whale tail photos to identify individual whales and find where they were photographed.

Whale tails are unique like human fingerprints, with patterns and scars used for identification.

One whale was photographed in Hervey Bay in 2013 and then in Brazil in 2019, a distance of 14,200 kilometers.

A second whale was first seen in Brazil in 2003 and then in Hervey Bay in 2025, a distance of 15,100 kilometers.

This is the longest distance ever recorded for an individual whale.

Griffith University PhD candidate Stephanie Stack said humpback whales usually stay in distinct breeding groups.

There was no photo proof before that these two groups were connected.

Stephanie Stack says whales share behaviors and knowledge with each other.

Traveling to other groups helps with genetic diversity as whales recover from whaling.

It also helps with cultural transmission, where whales share behaviors and knowledge.

We know humpback whales share songs across the hemisphere.

There was other evidence of whales moving between groups, but no photo proof before.

Citizen science is helping research.

Marine Scientist Wally Franklin said the finding was surprising and extraordinary.

Wally Franklin has been studying humpback whales in Hervey Bay since the 1980s.

Humpback whales from different areas migrate to the South Pole.

It was unknown how much these groups mixed.

The research shows the opportunity of using citizen science platforms.

Stephanie Stack said using whale photos is a non-invasive way to learn about their lives.

Anyone can upload whale tail photos to a global platform for researchers to compare.

A whale traveled from Brazil to Hervey Bay, the longest distance recorded.

Some photos used to identify the whales were taken by citizen scientists.

With global collaboration, we are learning new things about whales.

The route the whales took and what happened to them since is a mystery.

It's wonderful that there is still much to discover about humpback whales.

We still have a lot to learn about humpback whales.

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Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 9:01 am

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