Humpback Whale Supergroups Grow Off South Africa as Ship Risk Rises
Scientists say 299 whales in one group show a rebound after the whaling ban, while diverted shipping is raising ship-strike risk.
- In December, wildlife photographer Chris Fallows and his wife, Monique, encountered a rare humpback whale 'supergroup' of 299 individuals off South Africa, marking the largest sighting ever submitted to the Happywhale citizen science platform.
- Humpback numbers in the Southern Hemisphere surged from less than 10,000 to more than 100,000 since the 1986 global whaling ban; Dr. Els Vermeulen, Chief Scientist at the University of Pretoria's Whale Unit, says supergroups began reappearing around 2012.
- Fallows, who has documented marine animals for 35 years, described the gathering as a 'Manhattan skyline' of whale breath plumes; researchers identify individual whales by photographing their unique flukes to verify sightings.
- Conflict in the Middle East has diverted maritime traffic around Africa, quadrupling fast-moving vessels on the coast since December 2023, which Gregg Oelofse, City of Cape Town coastal manager, warned significantly elevates collision risks.
- To mitigate lethal ship strikes, Vermeulen is lobbying for official vessel speed limits near the coast, emphasizing that feeding whales remain unaware of their environment and require protective measures.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Whale ‘supergroup’ numbers rebounding from hunting
A South African couple found themselves in a rare situation when they witnessed a humpback whale “supergroup” consisting of nearly 300 of the giant marine mammals gathering. It is an indication of how some whale species’ numbers have strongly rebounded in the southern hemisphere oceans decades after
Associated Press News
Whale 'supergroups' show numbers are rebounding from hunting. But Iran war holds dangers for them
A renowned wildlife photographer says he and his wife documented the rare sight of around 300 humpback whales coming together off the coast of South Africa in what's known as a whale “supergroup.”
Huge whale ‘supergroups’ show numbers are rebounding. The Iran war threatens that
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email A couple were left amazed when they witnessed a rare humpback whale “supergroup” of nearly 300 of the giant marine mammals The post Huge whale ‘supergroups’ show numbers are rebounding. The Iran war threatens that appeared first on Western Morning News.
A South African couple found themselves in an unusual situation when they saw a “super-manned” humpback whale composed of nearly 300 of these giant marine mammals.
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