Scientists discover humpback whales are giving birth in New Zealand waters
Photo:
Humpback whale calves are being born much further south than scientists thought.
Until now, researchers believed the whales gave birth in warmer waters.
But a
new study
from the University of New South Wales - no pun intended - shows humpback calves have been spotted as far south as Kaikōura, and near Port Arthur in Tasmania.
That's 1500km further south than usual.
University of Auckland marine ecology Professor Dr Rochelle Constantine told
Morning Report
the finding shows humpback whales, which were once on the verge of extinction, are making a recovery.
"That means we start to see these extraordinary events... with some calves being born on their migration north, rather then on their typical breeding grounds," Dr Constantine said.
From April, humpback whales begin their northern migration, travelling up the eastern and western sides of Australia. They then return south between August and November.
They were generally thought to give birth no further south then the Gold Coast, on the east coast, and near Exmouth, on the west coast.
However, the study found over 200 new-born calves were recorded further south.
The reason behind this may be due to a combination of things, Dr Constantine said.
She said with more whales you get more of these unusual events, and in photos she has seen of whales further south, the calves are smaller and may be born prematurely. She also noted climate change warming the water could also play a role.
Dr Constantine said the study shows the importance of keeping whales safe during their migration so their numbers can continue to stay healthy.
"We came very close to extinction of these whales in our waters."
The researchers compiled records of humpback whale calves from several sources including government agencies, annual migration surveys and opportunistic citizen science observations, primarily from tourism vessels.
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