Researchers have confirmed the movement of two humpback whales between breeding grounds in Australia and Brazil, marking the longest recorded distances for the species.

研究人員已確認有兩頭大翅鯨在澳洲與巴西的繁殖地之間移動，創下該物種有紀錄以來最長的遷徙距離。

The identification of these movements was facilitated by the analysis of approximately 19,283 fluke photographs collected between 1984 and 2025. Utilizing automated image-recognition software and manual verification, scientists identified two individuals with unique tail markings across disparate geographies. One specimen was recorded in Queensland, Australia, in 2007 and 2013, subsequently appearing near São Paulo, Brazil, in 2019, representing a minimum distance of 14,200 kilometers. A second specimen was documented off the coast of Bahia, Brazil, in 2003 and again in Hervey Bay, Australia, in 2025, covering a distance of 15,100 kilometers.

這些移動的識別得益於對 1984 年至 2025 年間收集的約 19,283 張尾鰭照片的分析。科學家利用自動影像辨識軟體和人工核對，在不同的地理區域中識別出兩頭具有獨特尾部標記的個體。其中一頭於 2007 年和 2013 年在澳洲昆士蘭被記錄，隨後於 2019 年出現在巴西聖保羅附近，代表遷徙距離至少 14,200 公里。第二頭於 2003 年在巴西巴伊亞海岸被記錄，並於 2025 年再次出現在澳洲赫維灣，跨越距離達 15,100 公里。

These findings provide empirical support for the 'Southern Ocean Exchange' hypothesis, which posits that individuals from distinct breeding populations may converge at shared Antarctic feeding grounds and subsequently diverge toward different breeding latitudes. Such occurrences are estimated to be rare, with only 0.01% of the studied sample exhibiting this behavior. However, researchers suggest that these infrequent exchanges are critical for the maintenance of genetic diversity and the cultural transmission of vocalizations across ocean basins.

這些發現為「南大洋交換」假說提供了實證支持，該假說認為來自不同繁殖種群的個體可能會在共用的南極覓食地匯集，隨後分向不同的繁殖緯度。此類情況被估計非常罕見，研究樣本中僅有 0.01% 表現出此行為。然而，研究人員認為，這些低頻率的交換對於維持基因多樣性以及跨海盆的發聲文化傳承至關重要。

Furthermore, the data suggests a potential correlation between these migratory anomalies and anthropogenic climate change. It is hypothesized that alterations in Southern Ocean sea ice and the redistribution of Antarctic krill may increase the frequency of such transoceanic crossings. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, underscores the utility of citizen science and international collaboration in monitoring marine megafauna.

此外，數據顯示這些遷徙異常與人為氣候變化之間可能存在潛在相關性。假說認為，南大洋海冰的變化和南極磷蝦的重新分布可能會增加此類跨洋遷徙的頻率。這項發表於《皇家學會開放科學》的研究，強調了公民科學與國際合作在監測海洋大型動物方面的效用。

The discovery establishes new records for humpback whale movement and suggests that environmental shifts may be influencing migratory patterns.

這項發現建立了大翅鯨移動的新紀錄，並顯示環境變遷可能會影響遷徙模式。