Observations of migrating humpback whales have shown that they can swim up to 2,000 kilometers without stopping, while not deviating more than one degree off course! Neither currents nor weather whims interfere with them
Humpback whales boast one of the most advanced animal compasses. During seasonal migrations, they cover more than 6,500 kilometers. Moreover, as scientists from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have found out, whales swim as if on a ruler.
Researchers observed 16 animals that migrated into Antarctic waters off the east coast of Brazil, the Cook Islands and New Caledonia. The equipment showed that the whales swam non-stop from 100 to 2,000 kilometers at a time, without deviating more than one degree from the course and not paying attention to currents and weather changes. One such trip took the whales several days.
In short, imagine that you are on a multi-kilometer hike and you need to walk for several hours, like in a neurological test, strictly along the white line, despite the rain and wind.
Now the challenge for zoologists is how to explain such error-free navigation. Most migratory animals use either the earth's magnetic field or the position of the sun for orientation. The whales seem to have mastered both mechanisms. First, they keep their course in any weather. Secondly, as scientists say, the magnetic field in the water changes, therefore, it also cannot be the only basis for such an accurate following the route.
However, whales most likely have some other navigational skills. It is assumed that they are able to navigate by the moon and stars that can guide them at night. And here's another bold hypothesis: whales use echolocation to navigate their way. The vocal abilities of humpback whales are well known, they have the richest repertoire among cetaceans and can sing their songs for half an hour. Perhaps some of the vocal exercises help to "probe" the terrain at a long distance and constantly adjust the course … In any case, the ability of these animals to overcome thousands of kilometers in a straight line intrigues the imagination in itself, so as to leave it all unattended.
An article by researchers on the migration of humpbacks was published in the journal Biology Letters.