Facts about Marine Mammal Migration Patterns
- 05
Sperm whales show distinct population-level migration differences between sexes, with males ranging into colder high-latitude waters while females remain in warmer tropical and subtropical regions year-round.
- 04
Arctic-breeding bowhead whales follow seasonal sea ice edges during migration, using these boundaries as navigational guides between feeding and breeding areas.
- 03
Elephant seals navigate open ocean migrations with remarkable precision, returning to the same beaches each year despite traveling thousands of kilometers.
- 02
Humpback whales migrate from polar feeding grounds to tropical breeding waters, covering round trips that can exceed 16,000 kilometers annually.
- 01
Gray whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling from Arctic feeding grounds to warm Mexican lagoons to give birth.