Gray whale swims record 27,000 kilometers

A gray whale has traveled the longest distance on record for a marine vertebrate. This is according to a study published in the scientific journal Biology letters. The whale is said to have traveled some 27,000 kilometers.

The animal was found in 2013 off the Atlantic coast of Namibia in southern Africa. It was the first gray whale found in the southern hemisphere, writes National Geographic based on the study. Subsequently, it was verified which route the animal should have followed.

It took years of genetic studies to determine that the whale originated in the Pacific Ocean. In this ocean live two known populations of gray whales: an eastern group of over 20,000 animals and a western group of around 200 endangered whales. Based on DNA, scientists were able to determine that this animal was genetically the closest to whales in the northwestern part of the ocean, near Russia.

Around Canada

Scientists believe the whale swam around Canada, then moved south across the Atlantic Ocean. Two other possible routes are not considered probable. One would have swam in the Pacific Ocean and under South America, the other in the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and under Africa.

These routes are unlikely as no sightings have been reported. Additionally, since whales feed in shallower waters, a journey through open oceans seems more difficult.

It’s not entirely clear why the animal swam halfway around the world. Scientists believe that due to the rapid decline of polar ice due to climate change, gray whales are searching for new habitats. The animals can then get lost.