Fresh Insight into Right Whale Migration

A recently published paper in Marine Mammal Science documented the migratory journey of a female southern right whale (SRW) named Atenea who undertook a unique journey. After she left Península Valdés with her calf she did something unexpected. Instead of following the "usual" route for SRWs into the South Atlantic Ocean basin and subantarctic waters, she travelled rapidly southward, reached the tip of the continent, rounded Cape Horn in a westward direction, and continued north along the Pacific coast of South America.

Her journey became the first documented movement of a right whale from the Southwest Atlantic population into waters associated with the critically endangered Chile–Peru population of southern right whales—one of the right whale populations worldwide that have least recovered from the decimation of whale hunting.

“Beyond being an extraordinary migration story, this finding triggers a whole new set of questions about how whale populations may be connected across ocean basins, whether they may share habitats or migratory routes, and how we think about protecting whales in a changing ocean,” said Dr. Marcy Uhart, director of the school’s One Health Institute’s Latin America Program. “It also has important conservation implications, since understanding these connections matters for recovery, habitat protection, and conservation planning across regions and national boundaries.”

Southern right whales were hunted for hundreds of years, to the brink of extinction, but have since recovered to more stable population numbers. Atenea had been outfitted in 2023 with a new less-invasive type of satellite tag designed to drop off after a short period. Her recorded trip was 3,100 km (1,926 miles) over the 25 days of transmission and she became the first documented right whale to join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Tracking wildlife to better understand migration patterns and behavior provides critical data that informs conservation policies, population recovery and habitat protection. Marine mammals that spend their entire lives in the water are particularly challenging to observe.

Uhart explained that many factors pose threats to whales in the ocean including: boat traffic, climate change, oil and gas exploration, and industrial fisheries. She has been working with Blue Corridors Initiative, a global collaboration working to identify, map, and protect critical whale migration routes across ocean basins. These data also support species-specific conservation action, helping inform strategies to reduce threats such as entanglements, vessel strikes, and climate-driven shifts in prey and habitat.

“This study is exciting because it could open new doors of inquiry,” Uhart said. “We’ve been able to track nearly 100 southern right whales since 2012, and this is the first time this migratory behavior has been observed. Who knows, maybe her family has always done this and it’s not unusual at all! But without knowing where these whales are, we can’t get a good grasp of population and individual health. Developing new and better technologies give us a view into the lives of these amazing creatures and that is key to improving their survival rates.”