An international research team led by Dr. Aviad Scheinin, an apex predator expert from the University of Haifa, has documented what is believed to be the longest west-to-east journey made by a single sperm whale within the Mediterranean Sea. The whale in question, a young male, traveled an impressive 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles) from the Ligurian Sea off the Italian coast to an area near Haifa, a northern Israeli city.
The study, published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, utilized acoustic monitoring and photo identification to trace the whale’s journey. Sperm whales in the Mediterranean are known to spend their entire lives in this sea, which offers a diverse range of habitats, from shallow areas to deep plains and trenches that are crucial for deep-diving cetaceans like sperm whales and Cuvier’s beaked whales.
This juvenile whale set a new record for the longest documented range in the Mediterranean Sea. His route notably included the Strait of Sicily, a narrow passage that separates the Eastern and Western Mediterranean basins. The strait, at a depth of around 300 meters, is an unusual location for sperm whale activity, making this finding particularly significant.
The researchers noted that tracking whales in such shallow areas could help prevent accidental deaths. The study suggests that automated passive acoustic monitoring of narrow and relatively shallow regions like the Strait of Sicily could provide a valuable opportunity to reduce the mortality of sperm whales undertaking long-distance migrations within the Mediterranean.
Dr. Scheinin, who is a principal investigator at the University of Haifa’s Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, conducted the study in collaboration with Kirsten F. Thompson from Exeter University and Greenpeace Research Laboratories, and Jonathan Gordon from St. Andrews University in the UK. The research included two passive acoustic surveys carried out in April and May 2022 aboard the Greenpeace vessel SY Witness.
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