Migrating humpback whales navigate with precision usually associated with jetliners, New Zealand-led research has found. The study, led by Travis Horton and Richard Holdaway of the University of Canterbury, confirmed the whales can travel in straight lines for thousands of kilometres despite strong sea currents. "One whale, moving southeast from Brazil towardsthe South Sandwich Islands, swam over 2200km during a 28-day period along a heading that varied by less than half a degree," Dr Horton said. The data, which was gathered from 16 whales fitted with 30cm-long satellite-monitored tags, gave new insight into humpback migration, he said. However, it still remained a mystery how the whales achieved such precision. "The study advances our understanding of navigational behaviour during migration, yet it also raises several questions regarding the external orientation cues used by humpback whales and perhaps other long-distance migrants." The findings were published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters this week. NZPA
