(Adnkronos) – The reduction of Antarctic sea ice is pushing humpback whales to migrate south about three weeks earlier than 21 years ago. This is revealed by Australian research. According to a long-term study by the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia, researchers have attributed this shift to the warming of the Southern Ocean and the reduction of Antarctic sea ice, which could affect the whales’ summer feeding.
The peak of the southern migration of humpback whales along the Australian east coast has shifted from early October 2003 to mid-September 2024, with significantly earlier migrations since 2021, said UQ Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop, who led the research. Less Antarctic sea ice means less algae, a crucial food for krill, Dunlop said, adding: “The lower availability of krill before migration may force whales to return to feeding areas earlier.”
The eastern Australian humpback whale population has rebounded from 300 in the 1960s to about 40,000 today, but rising ocean temperatures due to climate change leading to sea ice loss have disrupted the once-consistent timing of whale migrations, also observed off Western Australia and South America, according to findings detailed in scientific reports published by Nature. Further studies are underway to determine whether the timing of northward migration is also changing.
