Research · Whales Take Different Routes — but Still Reach Dinner on Time

Research · Whales Take Different Routes — but Still Reach Dinner on Time

New tracking research on southern right whales, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Riekkola et al., 2026; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0029) and reported by Phys.org on October 16, shows that baleen whales do not follow a single fixed migration highway. Individual whales vary their routes between years — a female may delay departure and take a shorter route while raising a calf, then travel a longer path when alone — yet they still arrive at their feeding grounds on schedule. Their movements align with a combination of cues: major ocean currents, underwater topography and subtle variations in Earth's magnetic field. Lead researcher Emma Carroll of the University of Auckland notes that this behavioural flexibility is encouraging for a recovering population facing changing seas: a population that can adapt its behaviour has a better chance of coping with climate change.

Source: https://phys.org/news/2026-10-whales-routes-dinner.html