Scientists track pygmy whale
Australian scientists have tracked the 4,000km-plus journey of a pygmy blue whale from local shores to Indonesia. So little is known about this particular whale species, scientists weren't sure what to expect when they began monitoring the movements of one young male off the Western Australia coast.
This is the first confirmation of direct links between pygmy blue whales off Southern Australia and Indonesian waters.The whale spent the month of April zigzagging around in waters off Perth, before making the long trek north to Indonesia, it's also the first time scientists have been able to pinpoint the migratory paths of the pygmy blue whale. Regular populations are seen to feed off Victoria, South Australia and the Perth Canyon but it was previously not known where or how far pygmy blue whales could travel.
The species were heavily impacted by whaling operations in the 60s and 70s so this tracking will help build more information about the species and their habits. Humpback whales have been tagged in the past but this was a first for the pygmy blue whale.
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