Abstract
Baleen whale classical pattern of summering in high latitude and wintering in low latitude has been framed within a continuum of migratory schemes. Here, we aim to understand fin whale distribution and migratory patterns off South America by summarizing dedicated visual surveys, passive acoustic monitoring, and telemetry data from Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Our results agree with findings from other fin whale populations and whaling records from South America, supporting the existence of multiple migratory schemes including year-round residency and classic migration. An unprecedented case of a “seasonally inverted migration”, with an individual summering in low-mid latitudes and wintering in high latitudes is presented as the first description of a fin whale round trip migratory route in the Southern Hemisphere. Our results reinforce the notion that baleen whale migratory movements are more diverse than previously thought and highlight the relevance of international cooperation for the study and conservation of migratory species.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to L/M Arca de Noé, L/M Noctiluca, R/V Abate Molina, AGS 61 Cabo de Hornos, Río Azul, Huracán, Kipatara, ARA Alte Irizar, ARA Puerto Deseado, ARA Austral, GC Tango, GC Garcia, and Sur Austral crews, as well as all field work participants whose commitment made this research possible. We are also grateful to Max Bello, Salvador “Rock” Roman, Ximena Muñoz, Romina San Martin, David Flores, Cesar Villarroel, Luis González, Daniel Harris, and Patricio Ortiz. We thank Petrobras for kindly authorizing data collected from “Projeto de Monitoramento da Paisagem Acústica na Bacia de Santos” (PMPAS-BS) and “Projeto de Monitoramento de Cetáceos na Bacia de Santos” (PMC-BS). PMPAS-BS and PMC-BS are part of the monitoring programs required by Brazil’s federal environmental agency, IBAMA, for the environmental licensing process of the oil production and transport by Petrobras at the Santos Basin. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NOAA or the US Department of Commerce. The use of trade names, firm names, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the CTBTO.
Funding
LBR and SJB were supported by COPAS COASTAL ANID grant FB210021, CIMAR Fjords 29 CONA C29F 24 − 02, and CIMAR Fjords 27 CONA C27F 24 − 01. MS was supported by the INNOVA-CORFO grant 14BPCR-3345. AIG was supported by the FIC ATACAMA-Bip 40057832 grant. CO and SJB were supported by Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA), Ibereolica Cabo Leones II S.A., and ANID R20F0008 CLAP grant. BG was supported by the International Whaling Commission Southern Right Whale Conservation Management Plan project, Centro de Conservacion Cetacea, DynAMo Project (BMBF; ID: LAT16STRUC-039), Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (PETROBRAS) and the PMPAS-BS project. LBR was supported by the IDEAL ANID 15150003. MIB, MVRR and EZ were supported by the Dirección Nacional del Antártico, Instituto Antártico Argentino, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation and the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco. MS and AG were supported by ANID/ANILLOS/ATE220033 and Fondecyt N°1231058 grants. MJPA was supported by ANID–Millennium Science Initiative Program ICN2021_002. The research cruises to the MPA Namuncurá-Burdwood Bank have been financed with funds from the Law 26875. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 872690. This study is the contribution Nº 106 of the MPA NBB. In Brazil, Projeto Talude was mostly funded by Chevron Brazil Upstream Frade Ltda and PETRORIO JAGUAR PETROLEO S.A. The Brazilian Inter Ministerial Commission for the Resources of the Sea (CIRM) supplied diesel for the ship for all surveys. The National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) provided a research fellowship to ERS (PQ 304616/2025-7) and MJC (PQ 314957/2023-5). Data from this project is a contribution of the Research Group “Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha-EcoMega/ CNPq” and the Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology- INCT-Biodiversidade da Amazônia Azul, funded by CNPq Grant Number 405999/2022-4. This publication was partially funded by the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean & Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement NA20OAR4320271, Contribution No. 2026 − 1530. We acknowledge support by the Open Access publication fund of Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung.
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Bedriñana-Romano, L., Hucke-Gaete, R., Buchan, S.J. et al. A multi-method approach across ocean basins challenges fin whale classic migratory assumptions off South America.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63375-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63375-5
Keywords
- Baleen whale
- Satellite telemetry
- Passive acoustic monitoring
- Migration
- Burdwood Bank
- Humboldt Archipelago
- Marine Protected Area
- South Atlantic
- South Pacific
Source: Ecology - nature.com
