Humpback whales’ navigation a mystery, scientists admit

HUMPBACK whales have a mystifying navigational skill that cannot be explained by known theories, a study has found.

Scientists used satellite technology to track 16 tagged whales as they migrated thousands of kilometres northwards from the South Atlantic and South Pacific. For several days at a time they swam journeys often covering more than 1,000km with unswerving accuracy.

Most of the whales kept an almost straight course, deviating by less than one degree despite the effects of weather and ocean currents.