Photo: Richard Robinson Depth NZ
A satellite tag which unexpectedly kept working for a year has followed the journey of one tohorā southern right whale as he ventured 15,000km from the Auckland Islands across three oceans.
Bill - as he’s referred to - chalked up the longest southern right whale migration ever recorded, giving scientists the first ever glimpse into a full year in the life of a southern right whale. Until now almost nothing was known about where tohorā went outside the breeding season.
Tohorā were almost wiped out by 19th century whaling, but their population grew from an estimated 30-40 in 1920 to 2000 in 2009. Carroll and her team returned to the Auckland Islands last July, placing satellite tags on 12 more whales. You can track their progress and find out more here.
Dr Emma Carroll is a molecular ecologist at the University of Auckland.
Photo: Supplied
